Today’s quick review: The American. Jack (George Clooney), a reclusive man with a shady past, finds himself the target of a team of hitmen. With no clue who is after him or why, he holes up in a quiet Italian town near Rome. There, he takes a job assembling a custom gun for a client. As the days pass, he finds comfort in the arms of a prostitute named Clara (Violante Placido) but cannot shake the suspicion that he has been followed.
The American is a spy drama with a minimalistic plot and romantic elements. The usual hallmarks of the spy genre are missing: there are no high stakes, no extravagant action sequences, no gadgets, and no espionage. What’s left over is a tone of uncertainty and tension and a protagonist who, if not a spy, could easily be one. The American positions itself as a realistic, dramatic thriller set against the backdrop of rural Italy.
The trouble is that The American strips too much away. Jack is an enigma, a man without a past, an occupation, or even a last name. His motivations are opaque, and his only traits are his spy-like skill set and his justified wariness. His situation is even more mysterious: no reasons are given for the men trying to kill him, the gunsmithing job he takes, or even Jack’s earliest decisions in the movie. The conflict lacks any motivation and the stakes are unclear.
To top it all off, The American is a slow, uneventful movie. The film does a good job of establishing Jack’s cautious nature, but for all that it hints at surprises to come, there is very little payoff. The American occupies its time with Jack’s fleeting glimpses of a normal life, a life the ghosts of his past will not let him live. These interactions are fine on their own, but they lack the structure to support a movie that is already thin on plot.
To its credit, The American has fine craftsmanship and polished presentation. The camerawork takes its time, the performances are decent, and rural Italy makes for a gorgeous setting. The soundtrack is a blend of gentle guitar, piano, and Italian music, matching the scenery well. The film also does a good job of interspersing small but meaningful details, from Jack jolting himself awake in the middle of the night to his subtle hobbies.
The American has niche appeal for those who want the uncertainty of a spy thriller without the plot or action. Its execution is of high enough quality that those looking for its particular blend of elements might find it interesting. But most viewers will find it slow-paced, overly mysterious, and lacking in payoff. Find either a proper spy thriller or a drama with a more involved plot, according to your taste.
6.3 out of 10 on IMDB. I give it a 6.0 to 6.5 for decent production quality held back by a dull script.