THE AMERICAN
√ Bob Certified
For critics to call this movie “slow” is as wrongheaded as those who dismissed “Inception” as “too baffling.” The story of a world weary assassin’s days of lonely reflection is familiar almost every step of the way, but the direction by AntonCorbijn (a celebrated rock photographer whose credits include the memorable U2 shots for “The Joshua Tree” album) is marvelously stylish and George Clooney continues to be an actor with superb restraint. The emotional isolation of Clooney’s character is magnified by the small Italian village setting. Next to the non-stop action of most mainstream adventure films these days, “The American” is by all means “slow.” But in this case that’s a glowing virtue.
√ Bob Certified
For critics to call this movie “slow” is as wrongheaded as those who dismissed “Inception” as “too baffling.” The story of a world weary assassin’s days of lonely reflection is familiar almost every step of the way, but the direction by AntonCorbijn (a celebrated rock photographer whose credits include the memorable U2 shots for “The Joshua Tree” album) is marvelously stylish and George Clooney continues to be an actor with superb restraint. The emotional isolation of Clooney’s character is magnified by the small Italian village setting. Next to the non-stop action of most mainstream adventure films these days, “The American” is by all means “slow.” But in this case that’s a glowing virtue.