Film Review: The American

RATING

Okay, by now, you’ve seen the previews, you know George Clooney is in it, and that appears to be one of those spy thrillers that guys like Clooney and Matt Damon have a penchant for as of late.

What you really need to know, though, if you’re on the fence about this film is that it is directed by Anton Corbijn, whose best known as an iconic photographer for the likes of U2, Depeche Mode, and Echo & The Bunnymen, among others.

As a photographer, he’s long been one of my favorites, showing a supreme flair for perfectly capturing such stunning natural settings as Joshua Tree National Park, but never to the extent that it encroaches upon his subjects.

Being quite unfamiliar with his work as a film director, I was a bit surprised when I saw his name pop up in the opening credits. This will either be really good, or not so good, I thought to myself.

It didn’t take long for me to conclude that Corbijn’s work on this film would fall squarely into the former category. The film takes place mostly in the remote Italian countryside, which offers a feast for the eyes and provides ample cinematic eye candy as we try to figure out what Clooney’s character is up to.

Speaking of eye candy, Violante Placido (as a prostitute who threatens to become a liabaility for Clooney’s character) and Thekla Reuten (as a mysterious contact he encounters while trying to figure out how those nasty Swedes discovered his location) certainly liven the place up a little…if you know what I mean.

What is most notably missing from this film is the seemingly requisite CGI that, more times than not, serves only to distract the audience, betraying its very purpose in the process.

The American is a film that could have been made in the 1960′s. In fact, that seems to be the direction Corbijn seems to have chosen and the result is a film that is a pure joy to watch from start to finish.

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Darren Robbins is a fellow graduate of the “Almost Famous” University, a gifted songwriter, raconteur and lovable curmudgeon.  When you’re not reading him here, check out his terrifc blog… HE’S A WHORE…check out his new STORE as well.