The American

The American tells the story of an assassin that hides out in Italy for one last assignment.

Introduction

They don’t make films like these anymore. Movies nowadays, the characters outright say what they’re thinking because producers/directors expect that some viewers might be on their phones while watching. And I think it is a stupid thing what they’re doing. Do not watch The American if you’re just going to look at your phones. The American is based on the novel “A Very Private Gentleman” written by Martin Booth.

“Jack (Clooney), a master assassin and weapons craftsman, flees to the Italian countryside after a mission in Sweden goes wrong. While hiding out, he accepts one final assignment: constructing a specialized weapon for a mysterious client. During his stay, he strikes up an unlikely friendship with a local priest and pursues a romance with a local woman named Clara.”

Characters

George Clooney (as Jack) was successful in portrayjng his character. A master assassin who longs for something else, other than killing targets. The American is not your usual action movie you’d think Clooney will star in, it is a little outside his usual genre but he nailed it. Great casting in my opinion.

The supporting characters are mostly (if not all) Italians. Now I’m not very familiar with any of them but I loved everyone. They really enveloped Clooney’s character and built around it.

Theme: Loss. Longing.

Less Dialogue, More Details

The movie isn’t dialogue heavy, and it is very apparent even within the first 10 minutes of the film, but it doesn’t take away anything from the film, rather it enriches the experience for the viewers.

The silent moments will force you to observe what was happening on the scene. Rather than listening to a dialogue, your eyes would wander around the set, and you’d notice small details that will never be mentioned by anyone. Those things makes the film all the more great.

Melancholic Music

From the first few scenes alone, I knew I’d be in for an audio experience. The music gives that sense of longing, sadness and desperation. The music and the story danced together to create an amazing performance.

Lose Focus, Lose Track

Tiny details will be laid out in front of you, and they will never give you a hint. A couple of examples:

• A duffel bag hanged vertically from the ceiling to be a makeshift punching bag, used by those who needs to stay active but moves around a lot.
• Clooney always drinking after the one who pours drinks first. A subtle indication of how he trusts no one.

Final Thoughts

The American is not your usual crime action flick with guns blazing, front-door-kicking in your face firefight, rather it is a proper storytelling of a man’s struggle. It’s sort of a counterpart of The House That Jack Built under the horror genre. The music paired with each scene was perfect and it was definitely an experience. Highly recommended.