THE AMERICAN

This is the kind of film that has the ability to split its audience right down the middle, you will either love it or hate it.  Obviously, I’m on the positive side and found this film to be absolutely amazing. 

The film stars George Clooney (in a performance unlike anything he has done before) as an assassin who, after an attempt on his life, heads to a small Italian town to hide-out and to work out who betrayed him.  While there, he accepts a job to make a gun for a woman, who is planning on using it on a hit of her own.  For the majority of the film, we see Clooney’s character meticulously preparing the rifle to the woman’s specifications, stressing over every minute detail, while entertaining his nights by visiting the local brothel where he meets regularly with the same prostitute, Clara.  When he is not perfecting the rifle, he finds himself visiting the local priest who he converses with about a number of different topics and issues.  He soon realizes that by letting a few people into his life (something that, as an assassin, he can not afford to do), he is getting more out of it, and enjoying himself more.  He even begins to fall in love with Clara and decides that he wants out of the business, but before he can leave, he must settle a few scores. 

The misleading trailer for “The American” makes it look like an action film, but this is nothing like the film at all.  “The American” is a quiet film and all the action is played out on Clooney’s face.  We constantly watch him, where no words are spoken, yet we understand everything that is going on in Clooney’s head.  The film is gorgeous to look at, which should come as no surprise as the director, Anton Corbijn (this is his second film) is a photographer.  Each shot in the film could be used as a still photo, it is that well shot. 

Overall, I was mesmerized by “The American” right from the very start until the end, finding no fault in the film.  However, after seeing the film, I went on the internet to read other people’s reactions and was a little disturbed to read that the film is apparently quite inaccurate with the specifics of the guns used, as well as the language associated with the said guns.  There is a scene where Clooney’s character states that the bullet would travel at 360 miles per hour, when bullet speeds are actually measured in feet per second.  This is quite disappointing because for a film devoted to the tiny details of things, you would have hoped that these details would have been researched properly. 

I say all this, but as I have no knowledge of guns what-so-ever, this didn’t affect my viewing and enjoyment of this film in the slightest (but for people with even minimal gun knowledge, it is meant to be quite painful), therefore I have no problem recommending this film, although I realize that it will not be for everyone.

Ranked 5 in Top 25 of 2010