(George Clooney, under the Tuscan gun...)
CAST: George Clooney, Violante Placido, Thekla Reuten, Johan Leysen, Paolo Bonacelli, Irina Bjorklund, Filippo Timi, Guido Palliggiano.
DIRECTOR: Anton Corbjin
WARNING: Some SPOILERS and anti-UNDER THE TUSCAN SUN shenanigans straight ahead...
My first inkling that THE AMERICAN would be a film that most Americans wouldn't get was when I read in Entertainment Weekly that it had scored a "D + " in Cinemascore exit polls. And yet, it looked like it was going to nab the # 1 spot at the box office that weekend. How very, very intriguing: a movie that everyone is saying sucks, but is doing well enough to be # 1 for the weekend. How's that for a contradiction?
For my part, I was very intrigued by THE AMERICAN - even before its dichotomous opening weekend performance. I cite the following reasons for my fascination: (1) a minimalist, elegant poster that combined mystery and romance and made me want to know more about the movie; (2) trailers that echoed the poster's minimalist, elegant feel and added a sense of dark menace to the mystery and romance already present; and (3) a setting that is the loveliest on Earth: Italy.
Did I like THE AMERICAN when I finally saw it? Did it live up to my expectations and the promise of its poster and trailers? Or did I pan it like the rest of the folks who were, I guess, expecting OCEAN'S 18 or some shit? Well, given that I gave it a ***1/2 (good) rating, I would bloody well hope I liked it. Otherwise, my other personality has taken control of this blog.
Yes, I liked THE AMERICAN. I wouldn't quite say I loved it, but I liked it a lot - and deeply appreciated its courage. Courage in what regard, you ask? For being unabashedly European and completely, well, un-American. Now before some of you have a hissy fit and start sending me death threats, let me be clear that, when I say un-American, I mean in terms of cinematic storytelling.
Basically, despite George Clooney's performance, this is a European film through and through - and it's not just because of its Italian setting. To wit, the film is: (1) slowly-paced; (2) has a surreal, dreamy feel; (3) refuses to paint things in simple black and white; (4) slowly builds a doom-laden and sinister atmosphere; and (5) at the end, is not afraid to... well, let's just say this ain't UNDER THE TUSCAN SUN or some other fairy tale set in Italy.
Early on, THE AMERICAN sets the tone it will adopt for the entire running time: brooding silence punctuated unexpectedly with loud mayhem. We open on a remote lakeside cabin in Sweden. We glimpse our hero, Jack (Clooney), and a woman named Ingrid (Irina Bjorklund) quietly cuddling by a fireplace. They look like just any other couple on holiday.
Except they're not. At least not in Jack's mind. This becomes painfully clear when Jack and Ingrid's stroll across the frozen lake the next day is interrupted by.... gunfire. Jack pulls out a gun and blasts the shooter out of the woods. Ingrid, for her part, is shocked that: (1) Jack has a gun, (2) knows how to use it, and (3) just used it on a guy that (4) just tried to kill them.
It's becoming very clear that Jack is no average Joe on vacation. And that Irina had no fucking idea about this until now. Which makes her a very loose end. Which means... well, like I said before... this definitely ain't UNDER THE TUSCAN SUN. Long story short, Jack's no White Knight. Far from it. Not good for Irina, if you catch my drift...
Anyhow, the incident in Sweden forces Jack to go into hiding. Evidently, he is an assassin of some sort - and the shooter in Sweden was someone in the business trying to even the score. After meeting with his handler, Pavel (Johan Leysen), in a Rome pastry shop, Jack is given instructions to drive to the Castel Del Vecchio/Castel Del Monte area of Abbruzzo. There, Jack is supposed to hide out in a village under the alias of "Edward" - and wait for further word from Pavel.
Further word does come, and with it comes another job offer: Pavel wants Jack to meet up with a mysterious associate named Mathilde (Thekla Reuten). Mathilde is an intriguing character. We know this because: (1) she is fucking gorgeous; (2) changes her hair color every time she meets with Jack; and (3) has pillowy lips that even Christy Turlington would envy. Too bad her relationship with Jack is a strictly business and platonic one - otherwise, they'd make a smashing couple.
Anyhow, Mathilde wants Jack to build her a very special gun-with-silencer for an assassination job she's planning. He immediately sets about accomplishing his assignment. But, in the end, he's a man and needs to unload the massive amounts of sperm that collect in his testicles. So, when he's not busy working on his project for Mathilde, Jack skedaddles down to the local whorehouse where he pile-drives an insanely-hot Italian prostitute named Clara (Violante Placido).
Things get complicated, though, when Jack finds himself: (1) falling for Clara, (2) wanting to live a normal life with her, (3) befriending local priest Padre Benedetto (Paolo Bonacelli) who further re-awakens his humanity, and (4) finally telling Pavel that after he finishes Mathilde's gun, he's done and wants out of the killing game. If you think that Pavel's going to gladly let that happen, then you obviously think you're watching UNDER THE TUSCAN SUN. As I said, this ain't no fucking fairy tale.
So... will Jack ever stop fucking Clara long enough to finish building Mathilde's gun? Who is Mathilde planning to kill with it? Will Padre Benedetto be able to save Jack's soul? Is Clara as innocent as she seems? Or does she, too, have a hidden agenda? Or will she end up just like poor Irina? Is Pavel really going to let Jack walk away just like that? Why are all these people trying to kill each other when they could be drinking wine and celebrating the fact that they live in the most beautiful place on Earth?
Don't ask me. Just watch the goddamn movie. Preferrably after watching UNDER THE TUSCAN SUN. Just to cleanse the palate.
BUT, SERIOUSLY: Quiet, brooding, melancholy, but also somehow hopeful, THE AMERICAN is a solid thriller that portrays its world in shades of gray - as well as the people in it. Everyone in this movie is damaged to a certain degree. It's a litle hard to get a bead on any of them. Even Padre Benedetto has secrets of his own. Even the normally vibrant and lush Italian countryside is painted in autumnal and somber hues to further emphasize the bleak atmosphere. Even the sunny scenes have a chill that you can almost feel.
At the heart of the film is the story of a man who is looking for redemption - and tired of having to wash blood from his hands. George Clooney hides all of Jack's complexity behind an impassive exterior, but he gives just enough hints to the turmoil inside. He's a solid center for the unsettling skullduggery that unfolds around him - much of it, his own doing.
As the woman who makes him re-think the choices he's made, and makes him choose differently thereafter, Violante Placido is warm and engaging as Clara. She never portrays Clara as a victim, and gives the character a level-headed attitude and pragmatic outlook that makes us instantly root for her. Clara's not happy that she's a prostitute, but she's not going to bitch about it - and certainly won't let anyone treat her like dirt. The scene where she stands up for herself (and Jack) in a restaurant is a good example of this. And a few minutes later, when Jack tells her that he considers the dinner a real date - between man and woman, not john and hooker - is unexpectedly sweet. And Clara's reaction clearly shows she's forgotten, to some degree, how to be treated with kindness and respect by a man. If Clooney is the protagonist of the THE AMERICAN, Placido is its bruised but still-beating heart.
As the other major femme of the story, Thekla Reuten is equally compelling as Mathilde. Sporting brunette, red, and blonde hair for her various scenes, Mathilde is always changing. Like a prism. As a result, she keeps Jack (and us) on edge. While Clara wears her heart on her sleeves, Mathilde keeps everything hidden under a cool, composed surface. Reuten allows occasional flashes of warmth and humor to peek through Mathilde's statuesque beauty - but never lets her thaw too much. Perfectly appropriate for a trained killer. After her strong supporting turn as the nice inn-keeper from IN BRUGES, Thekla Reuten proves her versatility with the polar-opposite character of Mathilde in this film.
In their various supporting roles, Johan Leysen, Paolo Bonacelli, and Irina Bjorklund are all strong and memorable. Bonacelli, in particular, is unforgettable as the local priest with secrets of his own. His growing friendship with (and growing suspicion of) Jack is another unexpectedly satisfying plot thread.
Verdict: I can understand why most American audiences polled by Cinemascore gave THE AMERICAN a "D +" rating: it's not THE EXPENDABLES. And thank Jehosaphat for that. Nope, it's just a brooding, somber, and surprisingly poignant romantic thriller that understands that life and love are not painted in black and white - but a million shades of gray.
The fact that the studio dared to release it in theatres at all in this country, gives me some hope that there are some people in Hollywood who know what they're doing.
