The Quiet American

“The American,” directed by Anton Corbijn and based on the Novel “A Very Private Gentleman,” is the latest George Clooney movie in which he plays a solitary, emotionally distant individual.  But what should’ve been an intriguing assassin movie set abroad turns out to be dreary and lifeless thanks to a story that movies at a snail’s pace.

Jack (Clooney) is relaxing in a warm cabin with a naked woman, Ingrid (Irina Björklund).  They’re in the snowy mountains of Sweden, and seem like a very passionate and romantic couple.  The next morning, while walking, Ingrid notices some tracks in the snow, and Jack knows exactly what they mean.  They quickly take cover before nearly being hit by a sniper’s bullet.  Jack pulls out a gun, stealthily takes out the sniper, tells Ingrid to call the police, and then callously takes out Ingrid.  By the way this isn’t a spoiler; this happens within the first 5 minutes of the movie.  And because we know who jack is, a hitman, we can make the connection that Ingrid had no idea who he was, and thus needed to be eliminated to prevent him from being identified.  After seeing this, we realize Jack is the real deal, and will do whatever it takes to maintain his anonymity.  The assassins he killed are Swedish, but we don’t know why they wanted him dead.  Maybe like Cobb from “Inception” he screwed up a job they gave him… Who knows?  At any rate, he’s forced to flee to Italy until the heat dies down.  He contacts his employer, who in turn sets up a safe house for him in a town located in the Italian countryside.  Then a whole lot of nothing happens.

While in hiding, Jack is tasked for one last job; he doesn’t have to kill, instead he has to construct a weapon which will be used by another assassin.  He keeps to himself for the most part, while occasionally gathering materials needed to complete his job.  Maybe I’m missing something, but why does Jack have to make this weapon in the first place?  Anyway, he comes in contact with Mathilde (Thekla Reuten), the assassin whom will be using his weapon, and they talk about how the weapon should be created.  Then we see how Jack uses everyday items to create the weapon.  It’s all interesting, and really shows the ingenuity of Jack, but the problem is a good part of the movie is dedicated to this, which gets boring after a while.  In between creating this weapon, he meets a priest (Paolo Bonacelli) that’s a little too nosey (and could use a little more sleep), and starts a relationship with a prostitute named Clara (Violante Placido), however his employer told him no more “friends” after what happened to Ingrid.  It’s hard to tell when Jack and Clara’s relationship stopped being professional, regardless Jack is never certain if Clara’s feelings for him are genuine, but eventually drops his guard and starts to think of life beyond that of a hitman.

The plot has the makings of a good thriller, but the wheels never start rolling until maybe the last third of the movie.  There are a few suspenseful scenes here and there, but they’re sandwiched in between the tediousness which is Jack’s life (the lack of music makes this worst).  Jack is not an enigmatic character; he’s dull and monotonous, unlike most of the characters George Clooney plays.  Because of this George Clooney can only work within the confines of this boring character.  However, when the movie finally picks up, it keeps you on the edge of your seat, and allows Jack to show off his skills.  But by then you’re wondering how much longer can this movie last?

The opening and closing minutes of “The American” make for a solid thriller, but what we’re stuck with in between is a border-line cliché in plot (a hitman leaving his profession for the love of his life), and a boring main character.  Also, the ending may leave some feeling bitter.  Not to spoil anything, but it ends abruptly, and makes you feel like you’ve wasted your time.  On the plus side, the poster’s really cool.