The American

We all know the sort of characters George Clooney traditionally plays: smug, charming individuals who know their way around people. Sure, he plays darker individual in films like Michael Clayton and Syriana but, essentially, he is always a good person. Therefore, this is what we expect in Anton Corbijn’s (Control) second feature for about the first thirty seconds, before the titular character puts a bullet into the back of his lover’s head. This event perfectly sets the bleak tone of the rest of the film, a tough, slow-paced existential journey into the depths of his soul.

The American seems a bizarre title for a film based on Martin Booth’s novel A Very Private Gentleman about an English gunsmith. This change is simply brought about to allow George Clooney to star in the film, which was an extremely good decision. Despite being perhaps the darkest role of his career, the performance is superb, giving a real sense of presence and of the character’s innermost tensions, with almost every twitch of his face revealing the details of the persona he inhabits. This is essential for a film in which dialogue is so sparse, with the story told primarily in the film’s excellent camera movement and cinematography, which build an exquisite sense of the protagonist’s loneliness and isolation. A clear comparison can be made to Jean Pierre Melville’s classic Le Samourai, a film that interestingly enough Corbijn claims never to have seen. Yet this is hardly a criticism, as it’s certainly not an unofficial remake with its central figure and surrounding environment remaining captivating even if Corbijn cannot quite match Melville’s elegance.

The other result, however, is that The American is a film that moves at a sluggish pace for almost its entirety, something many will undoubtedly find off-putting. But it remains tense and captivating for those who do not mind this, and throughout the film retains a brilliantly dark and brutal edge. The only time its tempo does speed up is also its weakest point when, about halfway through, a chase sequence occurs that feels completely incongruous with the rest of the film, and it takes a while for it to recover. The other big flaw is simply that its plot is not very original, so whilst its central figure remains captivating and his conversations with the local priest aid in creating a fascinating depth to the film, it really doesn’t help that it’s easy to see where it will end. Yet at the day, the film is made well enough to overcome this – even the clichéd ending works wonders thanks to a lovely final shot.

At the end of the day, The American is not a film for everyone, with the unsympathetic nature of its protagonist and its snail pace alienating many of its potential viewers. However, for those who can make it past this, there is a rich and fascinating piece of work here that is extremely well acted and directed.

See The American at City Screen. Check out the cinema's website for further details.

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