There is something strange and hypnotic about “The American”, a hit man tale based on the Martin Booth novel “A Very Private Gentleman”. It is being touted as a thriller, but it is more about a man coming to grips about his past. Action junkies will no doubt be disappointed by the lack of explosions and low body count. More patient viewers will be rewarded by the constant tension throughout and the gorgeous visuals.
Jack (George Clooney) is a guy with a lot of his mind. In Sweden, he is almost killed after a completed job. He’s getting sloppy by breaking one of his rules of not making any friends with the locals. Jack escapes to the picturesque region of Albruzzo in Italy.
Director Anton Corbijn’s career as a photographer serves him well here. The lush snow of Sweden and the beautiful landscape of Albruzzo are perfectly captured on film. Corbijn got his start directing on music videos. Unlike some of his contemporaries that come from this field, Corbijn trains his camera steadily and takes his time with his shots. Some might feel restless with this technique, but I found it refreshing to soak in all the surroundings.
This filmmaking process meshes comfortably with Jack’s style. In Jack’s line of work, he has to observe everything. He plans escape routes in his head, notices the behavior of the locals, always has his head around for any type of danger and learned over the years not to trust anyone. This leads to a lonely life for Jack. He doesn’t have roots anywhere, no friends to speak of and he is always on edge.
For his latest assignment, Jack has to design a high powered rifle for a mysterious woman (Thelka Reuten). Jack’s contact Pavel (Johan Leysen) is short with the details. I immediately thought of “The Day of the Jackal” with all the planning of the hit and the construction of the gun. The tiniest details are lovingly displayed.
Jack is tired of the grind. Killing an innocent person on his last job has shaken him to his core. He breaks his rule once again in Italy by befriending a priest (Paulo Bonacelli). Jack also begins a steamy romance with a prostitute (Violante Placido). In many ways they have similar jobs. They both deal with cold calculating people who don’t give a damn about them. It is better for their performance to not develop feelings for people or they will get hurt. Maybe this is why they develop such an instant bond with each other. They both let their guard down for a moment and are pleasantly surprised by the results.
The plot to “The American” is minimalist to the core. Critics will make a mistake in describing the film as just another one about a hit man on his last job. That is only a small part of the landscape. It is almost an aside near the end when Jack tells Pavel of his plans. It doesn’t drive the plot one bit. I was on the edge of my seat wondering what was around the corner for Jack. Who could he trust and what will be his final fate? That drives the movie and makes it successful. This is a brave performance by Clooney. His character is definitely a bad guy. It might be hard for his fans to deal with that. Having said all of that, you do start rooting for him in a perverse way. You want him to find peace, happiness and love. The credit lies with Clooney in creating this compelling character that can be loathsome and sympathetic at the same time.
