London Film Festival Screening: The American

The American
Starring: George Clooney, Violante Placido, Thekla Reuten
Director: Anton Corbijn
Rating: 2 and a half (out of 5)

Summary: An American assassin (Clooney) finds himself holed up in the Italian countryside after his previous assignment in Sweden ends abruptly and violently. Tempted out for a final small assignment by his usual contact, he finds that a hit man can never truly leave his old life without sacrifice...

The American will be a tough sell to a mainstream audience, the morose mood premeating each scene and the languid Italian afternoon tone of Corbijn's direction slowing the film to a snails pace; excitement is few and far between. Imagine Leon the Professional cleaning his window box on a Sunday afternoon and you've pretty much got where the film stands amongst the pantheon of spy thrillers.

Clooney, looking more like Cary Grant with each film that passes, manages to look great in a number of fine cut Italian suits and Prada knitwear but his gloomy and self pitying character Jack (or his alias Edward) stands out like a sore thumb in back water Italy. Whether it's sitting in restaurants, in cafes, picnicking by a beautiful stream and frequently visiting brothels, for someone so paranoid he really is awfully trusting. At least Cary had the good sense to wear sunglasses.

As the film unfolds, Clooney questions his own existence, wakes up in the middle of the night in cold sweats, falls in love with the hooker with the heart of gold and suspects everyone as being a potentially Swedish hitman. As a cold bastard with pangs for a normal life, Clooney really pulls it off, the pain of one too many taken lives etched all over his face - even if he is having a well earned espresso whilst wallowing.

Director Anton Corbijn, ex music video director extraordinaire and the vision behind Joy Division biopic Control, decides to take time off from his rock 'n' roll sensibilities to show as much dramatic tension on screen as a Daniel O' Donnell production. This isn't so much of a problem when surveying the beautiful surroundings like a postcard but when he attempts to imitate The Third Man by filming the dangerous cobbled, back streets it's as blunt in it's execution as attempting assassination with a butter knife. Corbijn's mishandling of the piece is a big problem with The American - It's too Hollywood, it's too slick and for most of the film it's simply chocolate box paranoia.

Over the course of 105 minutes The American becomes an indifferent watch. It has no heart and to coin a cliche (which this film revels in by the way, kindly old Italian priests?) it has no soul. I've heard of a slow burner but this never even lights.

The American is showing as part of the "Film on the Square" season at the London Film Festival
It is on general release in the UK from 26th November