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It won’t take long for you to notice that the real movie is nothing like the slick teasers we all saw on TV. Remember, this is an art film, not the slick foreign thriller it was packaged as. Patrick Goldstein of the LA Times discusses audience disproval of The American, summing up nicely, “After all, moviegoers may have thought “The American” was a total snooze, but nothing could be a bigger snooze than playing Danny Ocean your entire life.” At least we can thank Clooney for taking a chance on something that wasn’t overtly leftist. Of course, we all expected some kind of neo-communist garbage from a Clooney film titled The American; luckily we were spared such an atrocity. After all, Jack believes he is “the American,” however, we find out that he is not so easily defined.
Dishonest advertising aside, what makes this film unique is its presentation. We get to know the surrounding landscape, which is a character all its own, as it helps define who Jack is. This is because Jack’s career choice forces him to become so isolated that he can no longer trust anyone around him. The photography is crucial in understanding and even enjoying the film; we must allow the surroundings to tell the story. The dialogue alone doesn’t tie the film together as it is paired with the many shots of landscapes that reflect feelings and emotions (all of which reminded me of some of the great Anthony Mann westerns from decades ago.)
Here at Newsreal we have been tough on Roger Ebert for his non-film related blogs (rightfully so), but it’s only fair to say he got it right on his four star review of The American. This is a great film but it may not be for everyone. Although buzz on the film is negative from many viewers, for the movie buff crowd this film is sure to please. The American feels as if the great Ingmar Bergman made a film about a hit man. The art film has been more or less missing in action in recent years, but it’s good to see that some filmmakers still know how to do it.
