The American (2010)
Genre: Crime / Drama
Duration: 105 minuten
Country:
United States / United Kingdom
Directed by: Anton Corbijn
Stars: George Clooney, Thekla Reuten and Violante Placido
IMDb score:
6,3 (106.985)
Releasedate: 31 August 2010
The American plot
Jack (George Clooney) is a hit man who, after a job in Sweden spirals out of control, swears to his employer Larry that his next job will be his last. For this last job, where his assignment is specified by the Belgian Mathilde (Thekla Reuten), he goes into hiding in the Italian countryside, in an idyllic small town. Despite the fact that Jack normally dislikes human contact, he meets a local priest and gets involved in a romance with the beautiful Clara. Is Jack thus jeopardizing his last job and more importantly, his own safety?
Social Media
Actors and actresses
Jack / Edward
Clara
Mathilde
Father Benedetto
Pavel
Ingrid
Hunter #1
Hunter #2
Man on Vespa
Old Cheese Vendor
Reviews & comments
Film Pegasus (moderator films)
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- 31353 messages
- 5560 votes
Great movie after review. This does have a poster that misleads the viewer. After all, The American is not an exciting action film, but an intriguing thriller that takes time to build atmosphere. Few words are used and the image speaks for itself. Reminiscent of the taciturn types from the Leone films or Le Samouraï. Anton Corbijn clearly (and fortunately) uses his approach as a photographer.
It's not a great movie. The images are not iconic and it is one of those holiday spots that will not stay in your top 10, but where you can relax and enjoy yourself. It's a movie that isn't bad either and gets even better over the years like a good bottle of wine.
Translated from Dutch · View original
SmackItUp
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- 3505 messages
- 2656 votes
Starts off well, but quickly goes downhill. The problem is that Corbijn doesn't seem to know what he wants. It hovers somewhere between a thriller, action film and drama. He couldn't have done better, because every aspect is very poorly developed. For a thriller, the chases are too short, the threat is practically non-existent and the characters are predictable.
Needless to say, this isn't an action movie. There is hardly any action to be seen, but what you do get is presented seriously, but is of such an unbelievable level that this doesn't make an impression for a moment either.
The drama is still reasonable. A character is sketched who would like to step out of the world, but is haunted by his past. Nice setting, gives it something nostalgic.
Clooney plays nice, although I prefer to see him in a less serious role. Furthermore, I could enjoy the beautiful landscapes at times, if only because the film did not focus on the plot for a while.
1,5*
Translated from Dutch · View original
tommykonijn
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- 5218 messages
- 2417 votes
A nice, but somewhat misleading poster. It suggests a James Bond-esque thriller, but The American is a very different film. I also have mixed feelings about the film itself. On the one hand, Corbijn knows what he is doing visually. Beautiful, serene nature pictures pass by and the peace with which the story is told has something. Italy is of course also a prime location in advance. Jack's special place is also really breathtakingly beautiful.
On the other hand, the calm with which the film is told can sometimes be seen as slowness. I immediately believe that the real fans of this film see foreshadowing everywhere in the first half, but that does not alter the fact that I found it all a bit boring at times. I've never really been a fan of George Clooney. Here too I was not able to do much with his role and in fact exactly the same applies to that of Thekla Reuten. Violante Placido stands out most positively with her beautiful appearance. Perfectly cast for this role. The climax also makes up for it. Despite the fact that this - ironically - is over fairly quickly, there is definitely some tension.
I liked Corbijn's directorial debut better, but this was certainly not a punishment to watch.
3*
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