Dispatched to a small Italian town to await further orders, assassin Jack embarks on a double life that may be more relaxing than is good for him.
italy assassin italian priest prostitute guns american mercenary mission anti hero mexican standoff village sweden melancholy revenge mysterious paranoid somber intense
Nate H. reviewed The American (2010)
Review from the comment
This one snuck under the radar for awhile because I had heard it was average. Recently, I had seen it pop up on a lot of underrated lists so thought I'd check it out given the spy thriller genre is one of my faves.
The American does a lot of things well. Director Anton Corbijn drops Clooney into the role as a hitman stuck between seeking something to fill a void in his soul and being consumed by the ever growing paranoia born from his life's actions. Clooney excels at conveying the back and forth nature of is mindset. This is a man who clearly is about to lose it if he doesn't find something to get him aligned.
Where this conflict resolves is pretty predictable and a bit of a letdown in execution, and the few action scenes throughout The American are hit and miss. There's a simpleness to them that shuns Hollywood bloatness and while I understand that Corbijn wanted to not fall into a trap of glamorizing violence, sometimes it's just a little boring. But all in all, still worth a look for fans of the genre and Clooney alike.
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