The American

[daisho2004]

Now I watched this movie the other night it I thought it was good, but a very slow movie with really no action at all.

I found this review on Amazon.com and I think it really is a great review of the film so I'm going to post it:

By

Jason Bean

This review is from: The American (DVD)

I find 'The American' a hard sell as a film. It's not an action/thriller like the trailers make it out to be, nor would I call it a character drama or art house piece. I can't see either of these audiences appreciating this film on the level it wants you to. I think that's why I like it so much, there's nothing else like it in theaters (at least not right now).

'The American' is about cold-blooded professional "Jack" who, after being attacked in Sweden with his girlfriend (which ends violently but not the way you think) is directed by his associate to hide out in a small town in Italy. He ends up friending a priest and a prostitute and takes a job building/modifying a weapon for an assassin. Of course his old enemies catch up to him but the movie chooses more to focus on the main character's slow change from cold-professional to 'maybe' redeemable human being. There's some (very good) action and sex but the story's told in a very leisurely fashion with little dialogue. It's more about what's NOT said between and by characters that gives this movie it's weight and suspense.

The camera work in this film is stunning, and that's a good thing. With the action and unrevealing dialogue taking a back-seat the movies' long, beautiful shots of Italy really set the movie's mood well and gives the sense of isolation and seeming solitude for it's main character. The slow moving scenes of repetition involving the main character constructing and testing a weapon (and the brief word exchanges between the main character and another assassin) perfectly reflects the mindset the film is in.

George Clooney took a big risk being cast in this film. It's unconventional and will easily put off his usual fans. I can even understand his performance of such a cold-hearted character being written off as one dimensional. I can only say I found Clooney perfectly convincing the entire way through and I hope he gets the recognition he deserves. The rest of the cast is non-americans with Violante Placido a stand-out (in more ways than one) as the prostitute whom Clooney befriends and eventually seems to fall for.

As I said 'The American' is not for everyone and is very much NOT the movie it's advertised as. It's a slow-moving, adult thriller that manages to be engaging and unpredictable without non-stop action and dialogue. For the right audience this film's a winner!

[CrazyFrog]

I liked it. George Clooney pulls off being a low-key badass quite well in this one; he even looks fairly cut (not ripped) in this movie. The actress playing the prostitute- oh my. I agreed it was very muted in terms of action at times and even the character development could have stood an extra scene. But it was the kind of movie I enjoy seeing because it is ever so slightly off the center.