After his directional debut making Control Anton Corbijn quickly became an in-demand director and his follow-up feature was The American with Hollywood leading man George Clooney. This subtle slow thriller has divided audiences the world over.
Clooney plays an assassin, going by the names Jack and Edward, but often called The American. Whilst hiding out in Northern Sweden with his lover Ingrid (Irina Bjorklund) they is found by a duo of assassins and The American has to kill them and Ingrid to survive. The American flees to Rome and his contact Pavel (Johan Leysen) gives him one last job, to make a specialist rifle for another assassin (Thekla Reuten). As he does his task in the town of Castel del Monte The American befriends the local Catholic priest, Father Benedetti (Paolo Bonacelli) and starts to fall for a prostitute Clara (Violante Placido). But of course no one ever leaves the assassination game.
Corbijn comes from a photography background and The American certainly a very well shot film. The cinematography is top notch and the film does have a real excellent look to it. There are plenty of elements of The American I appreciate , I like that The American is trying to be more grounded, that an assassin would lead a lonely, would be very cold and that he has to be on alert all the time. The American has to be planning and preparing all the time and that he has to think on his feet when he needs to. The film almost plays like an anti-action film, this is not a glamorous world like Bond nor a world like Bourne where everyone is an expert fighter, everything takes place in low-key environments, the cars are just old or normal vehicles, The American has to keep a low profile so he does not live the life of Reilly. I enjoyed how The American had to make the rifle and when he and the female assassin have to test it out, talking about the specifics and what she requires: it is not simply a case of just picking up any old gun. The scenes in the isolated picturesque stop where they test out the weapon reminded me or a similar scene in the 1970s thriller The Day of the Jacket (which I highly recommend).
Many critics have compared The American to films like Le Samourai. I can not fairly judge because I have not seen Le Samourai but The American does remind me of a 70s style film, focusing on a cool style, characters, a downbeat tone and not about action at all. As I stated it reminded me or Day of the Jacket and also of films like the Odessa Files. This is a film that aims to be a atmospheric, slow burning film, about a character that has to be always on guard and can not let anyone into his world.
Whilst I like the idea of a more realistic look into how an assassin would function and trying to be a bit more intelligence to a typical action film, at times The American is too slow for its own good, being too drawn out. There needed to be a little more drive, like seeing The American coming up with a plan for an assassination, following the target, knowing their movements, scouting locations and then doing a quick assassination. Or we could have seen more of his attempts to adjust to normal society after life alone or trying to live a normal life but of course never really able to have one.
The American is a very well crafted film with many strong elements. I works well as a more realistic thriller for people do not like blockbusters but it is sometimes too slow for its own good.
Clooney plays an assassin, going by the names Jack and Edward, but often called The American. Whilst hiding out in Northern Sweden with his lover Ingrid (Irina Bjorklund) they is found by a duo of assassins and The American has to kill them and Ingrid to survive. The American flees to Rome and his contact Pavel (Johan Leysen) gives him one last job, to make a specialist rifle for another assassin (Thekla Reuten). As he does his task in the town of Castel del Monte The American befriends the local Catholic priest, Father Benedetti (Paolo Bonacelli) and starts to fall for a prostitute Clara (Violante Placido). But of course no one ever leaves the assassination game.
Corbijn comes from a photography background and The American certainly a very well shot film. The cinematography is top notch and the film does have a real excellent look to it. There are plenty of elements of The American I appreciate , I like that The American is trying to be more grounded, that an assassin would lead a lonely, would be very cold and that he has to be on alert all the time. The American has to be planning and preparing all the time and that he has to think on his feet when he needs to. The film almost plays like an anti-action film, this is not a glamorous world like Bond nor a world like Bourne where everyone is an expert fighter, everything takes place in low-key environments, the cars are just old or normal vehicles, The American has to keep a low profile so he does not live the life of Reilly. I enjoyed how The American had to make the rifle and when he and the female assassin have to test it out, talking about the specifics and what she requires: it is not simply a case of just picking up any old gun. The scenes in the isolated picturesque stop where they test out the weapon reminded me or a similar scene in the 1970s thriller The Day of the Jacket (which I highly recommend).
Many critics have compared The American to films like Le Samourai. I can not fairly judge because I have not seen Le Samourai but The American does remind me of a 70s style film, focusing on a cool style, characters, a downbeat tone and not about action at all. As I stated it reminded me or Day of the Jacket and also of films like the Odessa Files. This is a film that aims to be a atmospheric, slow burning film, about a character that has to be always on guard and can not let anyone into his world.
Whilst I like the idea of a more realistic look into how an assassin would function and trying to be a bit more intelligence to a typical action film, at times The American is too slow for its own good, being too drawn out. There needed to be a little more drive, like seeing The American coming up with a plan for an assassination, following the target, knowing their movements, scouting locations and then doing a quick assassination. Or we could have seen more of his attempts to adjust to normal society after life alone or trying to live a normal life but of course never really able to have one.
The American is a very well crafted film with many strong elements. I works well as a more realistic thriller for people do not like blockbusters but it is sometimes too slow for its own good.