"The American" is that special kind of film that is thoughtful, meditative, and finely tuned, a film that sits with you and you digest it, and it leaves a pleasing aftertaste.
Yes I'm talking about "The American" as if it were a nice meal you would have at a fine restaurant, and like a fine meal it should be savoured. The film is full of surprises and suspense, but at its core it's about a solitary man, a man who must fight to stay solitary no matter how much he might want to let someone in his life.
The main character in the film played by George Clooney is nothing new to cinema, the solitary loner is as common to see in any classic western, or samurai movie, or in this case a spy film.
Clooney plays a character who is either named Jack or Edward, depending on the situation, it isn't made clear whether either of these names is his real one. When we first meet Clooney's character he is in a snowy mountainside with a woman who he is in love with. Moments later, they are ambushed by sniper's and Jack/Edward disposes of them in an orderly fashion but must also kill his lover, the "why" is rather vague, perhaps because he couldn't have any witnesses, or perhaps she was the one who tried to have him killed.
Clooney's character is in this line of business where it is difficult to trust anyone; he works for a mysterious man named Pavel (Johan Leyson) who hires him to create specialized weapons for assassins. His latest client is a woman named Mathilde (Thekla Reuton) a woman we meet three times, all with a different hair color. Mathilde asks for a sniper rifle to be made for a specific purpose that isn't discussed in any great detail; Jack/Edward just needs to know the specifics, and he sets himself to work in a small Italian village.
His character lives alone, he's isolated from everyone, he spends time in his room making the weapon and keeping himself busy staying in tuned with his surroundings and of course doing push ups. It isn't easy to be him, around every corner, he suspects someone following him, he mistakes a backfire from a scooter to be a gunshot, he lives in complete paranoia.
As solace, Jack takes pleasure in the arms of Clara (Violante Placido), a prostitute who works in a bordello, he tries to keep their relationship above the surface, but she falls for him, and they soon fall in love, but again he begins to question her loyalty.
"The American" is a film about a man looking for peace, he is tired of his life of paranoia, he doesn't know how much longer he can last in his world, he wants desperately to let someone in, it's a film that may take some off guard with its visual poetry rather than a straight forward spy story. There is little dialogue said, much of Clooney's character is revealed in the words he says to Clara and to the local priest who he befriends, everything else he keeps hidden.
The film has a more European sensibility than a western one, even the title "The American" makes Clooney's character sound like the foreigner; it was directed by Anton Corbijn, who's only other film was "Control" about the life of Joy Division lead singer Ian Curtis, which I have not seen. Corbijn keeps the film quiet and unassuming, it reveals itself to us rather than showing its hand right away, it's a film I appreciated by not letting us know all the answers and not knowing exactly where it is going.
Clooney is our guide into this man who is difficult to know, but we follow him, and we sympathize with the sadness in his eyes, Clooney is great for letting us in the burden his characters bring, it's one of his most silent but provocative roles.
"The American" relies very much on atmosphere, and tone, there is very little plot, had this been a more mainstream film, there would be more of a body count, and much more exposition to figure out what everything all means, I'm happy enough to be lead into a mystery of a man who won't let just anybody in, it's a much more satisfying, and tasteful experience.
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