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    The Mad Movie Man
    You are at:Home»Review»3310. The American (2010)

    3310. The American (2010)

    0
    By The Mad Movie Man on April 8, 2021 100-109 mins, 2010, 6 - 7.9, Action, Apr 21, Crime, Movies Of 2021, Review, Thriller, United States
    7.6 Sleek and silent
    • Acting 7.7
    • Directing 7.7
    • Story 7.4
    • User Ratings (0 Votes) 0

    Starring: George Clooney, Thekla Reuten, Violante Placido

    Director: Anton Corbijn

    Running Time: 105 mins


    The American is an American film about a veteran hitman who is deployed to a small Italian town to carry out a hit, however both his conscience and the events of his past make his time there particularly uneasy.

    What this film really has going for it is an undying commitment to telling its story in a very unique way. We all know about stories following hitmen and their inevitable inner conflict with morality, but The American takes a much more patient and pensive approach to telling a tale well-trodden by blockbusters.

    Director Anton Corbijn deserves immense praise for his commitment to keeping a very blockbuster-friendly plot so calm and patient, and while there’s certainly a case to be made that his style isn’t always the best approach, The American is certainly a unique watch throughout.

    We’ll get more into where the style falls down later on, but first things first, this film’s maturity and depth are really impressive, made all the more effective by that slower, reflective style.

    There are a number of long, almost dialogue-free sequences in this movie, but they’re without doubt some of the best moments of all. While the few bursts of action are definitely welcome, the movie really shines when it says so much by saying so little.

    I realise that’s a bit of a cheesy cliché, but I really mean it. Particularly in the film’s second half, the build up of emotional intrigue is given a lot of room to breathe in the quieter sequences, and that makes it a whole lot more captivating to ponder.

    Simply put, this is more of a thinking movie than an action movie, although its slower pace is actually one of the most entertaining things about it too.

    It’s not all about wall-to-wall action, but the patient and quiet narrative style gives Clooney’s profession as a hitman a really cool, sleek elegance, especially when he’s dealing with his agency in thrillingly secretive fashion.

    Clooney’s performance is as effortlessly cool as always, and the Italian setting only makes him all the more slick in the lead role. However, Thekla Reuten arguably steals the show with a number of brief but eye-catching appearances throughout as a fellow member of Clooney’s agency.

    All of this paints the picture of a patient and effortlessly cool movie that takes a typical action story and strips it down to a genuinely thought-provoking personal drama.

    That’s very true, however there is a case to be made that director Corbijn’s style perhaps pushes the boat out a little too far. As elegant and reflective as the movie is, there are some periods where it really doesn’t have all that much of interest to say, particularly as we follow Clooney’s blossoming relationship with a local prostitute.

    It’s a key part of the story and the film’s emotional core, but it all comes across as a little forced and out-of-left-field in comparison to the rest of the plot, proving more of a distraction or at least a simple plot device than anything else.

    Saying that, The American still has a lot of strengths, and it certainly deserves high praise for its bold and unique approach to telling a story familiar to blockbuster cinema. Complete with great performances, a perfect setting and an effortlessly sleek atmosphere, the film uses its slow, quiet style to great effect throughout, and that’s why I’m giving it a 7.6 overall.

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    The Mad Movie Man
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    The Mad Movie Man, AKA Anthony Cullen, writes articles and reviews about movies and the world of cinema. From January 1st, 2013 to December 31st, 2022, he watched and reviewed a movie every day. This is the blog dedicated to the project: www.madmovieman.com

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