User Reviews

Good story beautifully filmed with great use of space and silence. Well acted and directed.

[SPOILER ALERT: This review contains spoilers.]

The character of a loner assassin should be almost charmless. But since this is George Clooney playing that character, it’s almost impossible. So he ends up as a really wooden, flat person; Hard to care for.

[SPOILER ALERT: This review contains spoilers.]

The movie doesn't need a tons of dialogue, the movie doesn't need a loud score, the movie doesn't need a crazy location, and the movie doesn't need a lot of shooting scene, the movie just need Clooney, Violante Placido, Johan Leysen, Thekla Reuten, slow beautiful piano score, and Italy, that's it, the movie was perfect.

this movie is stupid yet it takes itself seriously. It's boring no budget so it can't be a action movie. The writing is too poor and non sensible to be taken as a mental thriller (unlike tinker taylor). the characters are so charismatic. Actor not taking the physical training to make it believable. He's a highly paid assassin yet he gets contracted to be a custom gunsmith. He's a gunsmith, but does his work without a shop bumming tools from a low end mechanic. He can have a rifle shipped to himself, but can't get the washer and metal tubing to make the silencer. Then he magically gets a drill pressed. George clooney didn't train enough to do proper pushups or pullups, yet we have to watch his training montage on the screen. He's in worse shape than all the non contract killer women in the movie. the action is poorly thought out with characters who don't think. it impossible to believe these people are highly experience successful contract killers. the bourne series was so much better. Clooney's relationship with the priest is such a crappier and can't hold a candle to godfather 3 michael and his priest. watch any of the movies i've listed instead of low budget clunker. if you want old man hot babe fantasy, the recent 007 movies are much better. or RED.

If you don't like the style or pace of an Italian film, then you won't like anything about 'The American'. Mr. Clooney does a marvelous job portraying an assassin working to construct a weapon for a mysterious contact. The pace of the film allows the suspense to grow as the story progresses. Beautiful scenery and the gorgeous Violante Placido contribute to an impressive film.

Quiet, tense, dramatic, violent tour of the Abruzzo region of Italy. Artful nod to the Spaghetti Western's lone anti-hero come to town. Highly recommended, TOP of the Netflix list. Borderline Blu-Ray addition to your collection - it's that beautifully photographed. Can you tell that I liked it?

The American is a refreshing film to see in a time when most movies are sequels, spin-offs, or big-budget blockbusters. It is a character study of an assassin, played by George Clooney, taking place in the beautiful hills of Italy. The cinematography is amazing, and the screenplay allows for many overhead shots of villages and mountains to be seen. The film's premise and storyline are reminiscent of an Italian film from the 1960s, and it captures most of the magic of that era.

The American is just a little too poorly paced. It is not necessarily boring, but for a film that is under two hours in length, it really, really drags. George Clooney turns in an understated, cool, and calculated, performance in the lead role and the cinematography from Martin Ruhe is absolutely breathtaking. The mise en scene as a whole is fantastic and the score is lush and brilliantly composed. While the pace slacks, the direction from Anton Corbijn otherwise is pretty good and he has tight control over this tense thriller. Beyond this, it often feels as though the film's plot is just Clooney walking and driving around Italy. While there is obviously more to it, the plot is just far too subtle and practically non-existent. The American is a beautiful film that really has fantastic technical aspects and is well-acted, but is just not necessarily my thing.

A restrained and disciplined presentation conveys style, subtlety, and finesse. Surprisingly, stillness and silence contain as much stimulation as any scene from a blockbuster action film. Each scene keeps you wanting a little more, as attractively mysterious things often do. I really liked jack, the priest and his girlfriend. All three displayed convincing depth. The gun building and shooting parts were sweet.

Not good, not bad. It had some well acted scenes but that's all. I actually cried my money because in the cinema was only me and my friend. All the others were absolutely gone!!! Whatever..........a mediocre film!!!!

The American is a bizarre movie and one that totally caught me off balance the first time I watched it. I was expecting an exciting thriller. What I got was a slow-burn, meditative art flick with minimal dialogue, plotting or action. Admittedly, the first viewing was a rough one, but I have since seen it a few more times and I like it much more now. I guess first impressions aren't always right.

Do I even have to explain what's wrong with this movie? It's extremely boring. I'm not against art-house action movies. I enjoyed Drive, and loved Hanna, but can the American even be called an action movie? I'll admit that I stopped watching after a while and didn't finish it, but after nothing happens for more than an hour did I really need to? This is not a thought provoking or suspenseful film as some have claimed. It's mega pretentious and miserably boring. Sure, it's well filmed and has a pretty location, and nothing's wrong with the acting, but something has to happen in order for a movie to be entertaining. I hate movie's like Revenge of the fallen that bombard you with empty action and have nothing else to offer, but this movie bombards you with empty nothing and has nothing else to offer, which might be even worse.

We don't necessarily get a story about a master assassin as the blurb suggests, but what we do get is a heavy character study about the repercussions of such a lifestyle, and it couldn't be painted in more realistic form from George Clooney, who delivers a very subdued yet believably dangerous performance as the variously named assassin. We immediately realise the situation this man finds himself in, he trusts nobody and really cannot be around anyone for fear of being discovered, as the old threats used to go, you will be looking over your shoulder for the rest of your life, well this is exactly what the film consists of, a middle-aged man who must try to rebuild his life and escape his messy past, his actions in the opening moments of the film show just how far he will go to not be found. I also noticed very little dialogue throughout the film, instead going for very intense and thrilling scenes, quiet but engrossing as the story progresses, a story that isn't fully explained but doesn't need to be, our assassin is hiding out in Italy, where we learn of his other trade as a very talented gunsmith, something he seems at peace doing. What follows is a slowly paced and captivating encounter, with Clooney's character suspicious of every single person he meets or even lays eyes on, probably for good reason. The easiest thing to take away from the film is not necessarily what this man, Jack, is, but more so what happens after, we meet him in what can only be assumed to be the twilight years of his job, and the rest of the film plays as a study of the difficulties and challenges facing different choices made, loneliness plays a major factor but its focus and determination that keep this man alive. The film itself does have an acquired taste, its often slow and many will find it difficult to sit through, simply for the lack of what people may perceive to be very little happening, but thats the point of it, letting the talent tell the story through actions, facial expressions and decisions, this man constantly fears for his life, even though his past suggests he can handle the pressure, we see a broken and often paranoid individual, a human being. The promotional posters are truly misleading and this was definitely surprising, but in a very delightful way.

This movie was just plain terrible! It was pointless and watching it, was like watching paint dry. Clooney hardly speaks, everything was predictable, nothing made sense or was explained. It was just a complete waste of time. The one interesting thing I did want to mention is that throughout the movie, director Anton Corbijn shows everything done so methodically and wants to be as realistic as possible, however Clooney is seen driving on the left side of the car and on the right side of the road in Europe. Like the movie, even the setting has a huge hole in it. Honestly guys, don't even waste your time on this one.

this movie is **** boring and makes you want to sleep.I do not know how to have a sixty-one and six point zero. clooney not supposed to be right in the head to do this movie but also if it was not anyone he knew this movie.

A great film that relies solely on George Clooney to provide the fantastic performance to lift this film from being mediocre to being a good one. Extremely watchable though I would advise that it can drag on in certain places.

[SPOILER ALERT: This review contains spoilers.]

"The American" is quite and poetic, like those old japanese samurai movies. The movie shoots the core of what its trying to say, giving a appeal to the heart rather than eye candy visuals. In the end, the audience who are more mature would definitely watch this.

It's aimless and completely devoid of any type of thrills, which is generally bad when a movie is billed as a thriller. The ending, which should have been exciting and emotional failed to extort even a smidgeon of energy. As a character study it's no match for The Bourne Identity, with a main character so enigmatic that any insights are swiftly denied. The script at some points is downright awful, while the miniscule, agonizingly slow plot plays out without a hint of suspense. The only things that pull The American up to a 4 are Clooney's grasp on his impossible character, magnificent acting by the rest of the cast, and the obvious care that was put into the cinematography and editing.

I'm sure that this movie was misrepresented as a 'thriller' to get the Fast & Furious or Oceans 11 crowd into the theater. That would explain most of the negative reviews from users who don't ever have a single introspective thought. I guess I would be upset too, if I was expecting The Transporter 3, and instead found myself watching something way above my intellectual depth. This movie is excellent -- as long as you aren't the type who falls asleep if there isn't an explosion on the screen every 10 minutes.

The American is a rather slow and ultimately nonsensically plotted movie which promises much (it could have been The Consequences of Love, and was clearly influenced by it) but fails to deliver (the "twist" at the end, instead of being explicatory, instead renders everything that's gone before utterly pointless). Clooney works hard with the slow pacing and it's quite nicely shot, with the benefit of some wonderful scenery, but all you're left with in the end is the taste of disappointment.

Anton Corbijn's "The American" is one of those rare films that come along only once in a great while. Corbijn's has blended a methodical tale of redemption blending it with the meticulous characterization and absorbing pace of such films as Jean Pierre-Melville's "Le Samourai"(1967) or Ridley Scott's "Blade Runner"(1982). Corbjin has crafted such a quiet dialogue driven film with such lush and bleak cinematography that accentuate the dark yet emotional nature of this engrossing character drama. The way he uses colors to highlight the darkness like using green lighting in the dark alleyways or reds in a brothel, how he uses mute grays during the day to give this film an air of foreboding and dread, how death looms around every corner, how at any moment someone could die, he could die. Corbjin and screenwriter Rowan Joffe deftly combine old school drama, techniques, and characterization with modern day style filmmaking to construct a story that not only delves deep into the psyche of a professional assassin but also delves into the psychological aspects of the human condition. How death can play a very important part in how we live our lives and how we choose the path that we will follow for the rest of our days. "The American" is one of the best films of 2010, not solely based on its technical merits but on the merits of its intricately woven story of death, love and life how it spins the of-told story of an assassin trying to escape his life of death. This is a beautifully haunting film. A film that has been grossly overlooked due to its slow pace and lack of explosions, wall-to-wall action that is not what this film is about this film is about life, about love, about death and what is important in life. "The American" is the intelligent moviegoers film a film that must be looked at for more than what it is on the surface. Seen for the dark, methodical psychological outlook on human nature that it is This is one of the very best of 2010 and one of the best throwback drama-thrillers I have seen in a long, a true and shining statement that there is still some magic left in the movie business. "The Americanâ

It was a pretty good spy movie, I think most of the people who are saying that the script was boring that's because they don't appreciate the build up. I can imagine people who came into the theater expecting non stop action to be disappointed, but it's not that kind of movie.

Excellent, minimalist film, but has a good enough story and action sequences to keep it interesting. Overall very good acting; Clooney is excellent again.

Excruciatingly **** is really hard not to fall asleep after about 15 minutes. Has nobody ever told the inexperienced director that the first and most important thing about moviemaking is change of pace ? The guy is a photographer from the weird side, I wonder how he got the money and the cast to make this film. In addition, looking at the depressed and distressed face of George Clooney for the full length of the film, without one inch of emotion, lifeless, bloodless, come on, get something out of this guy, you paid him to act for you. I actually lost sympathy for Clooney's character after 2 minutes, when he shot that woman in the back, for no apparent reason. It was disgusting, what exactly did she do to him ? Moviemakers should be just normal, average people, people you can relate to. Not weirdos...

Just boring as hell. The American fails to convince us not only that George Clooney is a cold blooded killer, but that this film needed to exist. It is an exercise in tedium from beginning to end. The photography, which should have been the highlight of the film, all things being equal, but was shot in such poor gray flat light, that even that possible escape from this prison sentence of a movie is shut to us. I didn't care about any of the characters, and the revelation that comes at the end is so obvious, that if you haven't seen it coming by 15 minutes into the movie, then you probably gave it a ten. The problem clearly is the pacing. I love slow deliberate plots, 2001 comes to mind. Kubrick understood he could whatever the **** he wanted in a movie, so long as it was interesting, and/or advanced the plot of the movie. The American on the other hand is about 30 minutes of plot, and another hour or so of foot dragging, mind numbing, care exhausting, I don't even care to finish this review I'm so god damn bored by this movie.

Parts of this film reminded me of one of my favorites, "The Conversation" -- Gene Hackman as the quintessential craftsman & loner who plies his amoral trade while experiencing a grim sort of moral awakening. I admire Clooney for taking a part like this that requires him to be even more serious and less charming than in "Syriana." And I found the film visually arresting. But even with the bordello sex, it lacks the humanity and emotion that would have made me care more about his character.

Brilliant movie that had me at edge of my seat the whole time. It's not just another boring action movie. Only intelligent people will enjoy this masterpiece.

This movie was okay although it was painfully slow in developing. I guess it was fun to watch if you are a fan of paint growing or grass drying... I did enjoy the cinematography and Clooney is always fun to watch. It was an interesting idea but I did have to turn on my humidifier since it was so dry.... Was glad to see the rifle blow up and knock our his assassin....

Brilliant and Beautiful. See this movie if you are looking for a thoughtful meditation on the psyche of an assassin who no longer has the desire to work as one. This is the story of a soul seeking something other than what he has, but he does not know what it is he is looking for or how to get it. Rather than this being a violent and dull-witted or depressingly repentant movie, though, it is full of life and even hope. There is action in the movie, but the action serves a purpose. Thus, it is not an "action-packed thriller" (like the ad would have the viewer believe), as much as it is a portrait of a human being seeking transformation of a sort - if not of the religious variety, certainly of the spiritual. The cinematography was excellent - beautiful natural images, very striking bits of composition in various room and street scenes, and a wonderful use of color. The storyline was somewhat canned, but the acting was very solid and some of the dialogue was exceptional in its deceptive simplicity. I will keep thinking about this one for some time.

Not even halfway through the movie I already hated its guts. The American shows no respect for its film genre, its star, and its premise. Director Anton Corbijin should stick to his short documentaries instead of trying to direct an action thriller. Most of the time the camera is up in Clooney's face, and although his performance is quiet but dangerous, it doesn't make up for all the faults in this film. There were basically no dialogue and when there was, it lacks focus and was all over the place. Spending almost 20 minutes following Clooney around town without doing anything, The American is one of the worst thriller of 2010. Clooney's performance shows promise but the film failed on all other aspects and will/could not be made up by just George Clooney. RazzieBuzz: Worst Director, Worst Screenplay, these are both unlikely because critics liked the film but I put them there just to show how mad I am that George Clooney got involved in this.

Was very surprised that I came away actually loving this movie. This movie almost make me forget that Clooney ruined Batman (head bobble). I like movies that just tell a story without dumbing it down and adding narration or stupid lines to help explain what is going on. The film focuses on details instead. No subtitles no easy translation, but you still understand and feel what is going on. It's really not all that complicated anyways. The film is shot beautifully. Maybe it's best when Clooney is given a film with as few lines as this. Scenes with his new "friends" add depth. Even in the most serene and beautiful places danger is lurking.

This movie requires an attention span. It's a character study, not just another run-of-the-mill action movie, and if you know George Clooney, than you should come to expect a little more smarts in his films and observant writing, not just cheap effects. This is a terrific movie for a more mature audience.

I confess, when I sat down in the cinema I was expecting to see George Bond, taking down his enemies with a smirk and a cheesy one-liner. I was very surprised by the film, and pleasantly so. The American tells its story through mood, tension and silence .. and does so very well. It sure ain't Hollywood. It's .. classy. There's just no other word that quite fits.

The American was not made for an American. It's a work of art. If you watch this movie expecting the Bourne Identity you'll be sorely disappointed, but if you have an open mind you'll realize the depth of the story, its characters, and its symbolism.

There's an unintended irony in The American's title, an irony that sweetly describes this movie's charm. When you think of an American movie these days, you think of a noisy spectacle, entertainment over character, explosions over story. But despite its title, The American is the antithesis of the big Hollywood spectacular. It's a quiet, contemplative film, lyrical in its grey, damp beauty and solemn in its business. The American is to be enjoyed for how it tells a story, not for the story itself, because the tale is familiar. It's the one about an aging hitman. Need I say more? Yet Dutch director Anton Corbijn finds new touches for his old story. His setting is the Italian medieval town of Castel del Monte, in the Apennine mountains of Italy. It's a postcard setting, crowded tile rooftops hugging each other up a hillside, narrow twisting cobblestone roads zig-zagging up between the old buildings. The cinematography is beautiful. But the light is rarely the golden, the colors rarely those of the picture postcard. Instead it's mostly drizzly, dark, dank and slightly worn. The town's a character every bit as much as George Clooney, who plays the title role with a restraint that matches the weather and the lighting. He's a paid assassin and it's all become too much for this paranoid, deeply introverted loner. Clooney goes the distance without ever cracking a smile. It might have been a dangerously low-energy, one-note performance. But instead it plays as a man who earned a good living by staying under a rain cloud but who finally dares to hope that maybe he's entitled to a little sunshine as well. As I said, the story's a familiar one and the ending's morality is straight out of the Hays code from the 1930's. For my taste, the utterly conventional conclusion is perhaps the film's weakest point. But its strengths overcome that solitary weakness. It has a subdued style, an elegance and beauty not typically associated with movies about assassins. Nor, for that matter, with movies about Americans.

George IS superb BUT this film is not. its just a long bland empty waste, predictable and uninspired. The poster for the film is better, I'd rather stare at that for the running time of this pretentious drivel. Still love George though.

Based on Martin Booth's novel "A Very Private Gentleman," this american production feels more like a European art-house film. The lead role fits Clooney like a glove and with a costar to-fall-in-love-with Violante Placido, both in characters who are by default lonely due to their choice of profession, they bring emotional depth and substance to a carefully patiently crafted thriller.

A Film Review By: Sam Fragoso "The American" ***1/2 George Clooney star's in Anton Corbijn's new action thriller "The American" Review The film revolves around an older man, possibly a spy, and definitely a craftsman of some sort. We never really find out what he is, but we do know that he is dangerous and he is being hunted. Now people are comparing this film as the "Eat, Pray, Love" for George Clooney. I don't think so, yes Clooney is in every scene, but this is certainly not a travelogue of Europe and on top of that the supporting cast around him is the reason why this film works so well. However I think "The American" is an acquired taste and certainly not for everyone. I mean there is ten minute stretches without any dialogue and most of the film is without action, which is all-fine by me. The crowd I saw this film with was certainly not happy; they were bored, confused and angry that objects weren't blowing up. I however enjoyed every minute of it; it's beautifully shot in the Swiss Alps, Rome and a small little town in Italy. "The American" has beautiful cinematography through out, Clooney gives a great performance and though sometimes the characters seem to be to remote for us to care about "The American" is a good film and for my money one of the years best.

Worst movie of the year! Boring! I dozed off once, folks ahead of us dozed off three times! A twisting, mountain road and 15 ways to shoot the same small streets: that's the best they could muster!!?? Eye candy for Cloony fans, other wise a waste of time and money!

Beautiful to look at, but holy crap, is it slow-moving. I'm ok with films with deliberate pacing, but this was far too tedious to watch. Clooney gives a subdued but effective performance, and Anton Corbijn is clearly a talented director, but the pacing prevents it from being a great film.

This film was painful to watch in every aspect. First movie I've ever thought of walking out on, but I kept hoping it would improve. All the dark, brooding, dull angst....Uggh! Story line was so predictable.

This is a wonderfully executed example of an intelligent and thought provoking character study. Once again, George Clooney is a class act with the guts to choose a great project that, sadly, most people will be too over-stimulated by today's mindless movies to truly appreciate. The film is highly engaging. Riveting, in fact, if you're not looking for the typical shoot 'em up action picture. If you're willing to get under the skin of The American, and really feel this guy's harsh reality, it's even shocking, not to mention heart-breaking, at times, and certainly a more realistic look at the life of an assassin than anything that's come out in a long time. Congrats to all involved in the making of the wonderful picture. Great job!!!

Hmm. Yeah I dunno, man. My expectations were certainly disappointed. Maybe it'll age like wine, but right now it's not even wine. It's like a desperate swig of Scope.

Unfortunately, all of the people declaring this film to be boring make up the majority of the world we live in. Thankfully, not every movie is Armageddon, and some of us can enjoy a story without non-stop explosions and endless chase secenes. Clooney proves he is one of, if not the best, actors working today. Beautifully shot and thoughtfully paced, this is the kind of movie that used to get made more often, before focus groups took over the process. Thank you for this gem.

[SPOILER ALERT: This review contains spoilers.]

"The American" is certainly not a thriller in the action-oriented sense. Oh, it's about spies and hit men and such and occasionally there's some shooting and killing and so on. Certainly there are beautiful people to see and luscious scenery for them to be seen in. But I think this is really a meditation about what might be important in life, in the context of the main character being an aging assassin. Unfortunately, if that's the case, it's a superficial meditation at best. As I watched this movie I often thought of Terrence Malick's "The Thin Red Line," a similar exercise in self-reflection albeit about war instead of espionage. Certainly DeNiro's "The Good Shepherd" was more successful, in my mind, in contemplating the spy life. Here, Clooney's portrayal of Jack, like the character himself, just seems worn out. In the end, we are not surprised at all by the movie's resolution nor, I think, do we much care.

In The American, George Clooney plays an assassin on a mission in Italy. With the intensity of Jason Bourne, he delivers an artful, exacting performance. This film is a fascinating addition to Clooney's work, but don't expect the dark humor he's known for in The Men Who Stare at Goats or O Brother, Where Art Thou? He's dashing but dead serious. There's no Daniel Ocean here. The American is an arty film adapted from the novel A Very Private Gentleman. Its scenes and close-ups are beautifully composed, like paintings. Cinematographer Martin Ruhe venerates the beauty and culture of Italy even as Jack (aka Edward Butterfly) carries out his dirty, murderous mission. But Butterfly's preparation is anything but dirty. Over a month he builds a gun and silencer with Zen-like discipline and concentration. With very little dialogue, Clooney keeps viewers fascinated with fastidious rituals (push-ups, chin-ups and daily coffee at a cafe). Violante Placido (the daughter of Simoneta Stefanelli, the actress who played Al Pacino's Sicilian wife in The Godfather), delivers a classy performance as Clara, a prostitute who becomes Edward's love interest. It is Placido who brings zest for life to the film. Her bedroom scenes with Clooney arouse and thrill. Yet the uneasy feeling that Butterfly can trust no one persists. Finally The American is about the meaning of one man's life. Paolo Bonacelli as Father Benedetto is the catalyst who gets Edward thinking about what he does and why he does it. When Edward calls his boss Pavel (Johan Leysen) to announce that this is going to be his last mission, it comes as no surprise. The American will appeal to seekers of a deep, thoughtful experience. It is a meditative character study that some - but not all - Clooney fans will enjoy. There is a quiet elegance to this film. Dutch director Anton Corbijn crafted it with great attention to detail. The American has not won wide critical acclaim. But it is the kind of film that a box office superstar like George Clooney can choose to make.