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The American
(2010)
  
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Directed
by:
Anton Corbijn |
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COUNTRY
USA |
GENRE
Drama/Crime |
NORWEGIAN TITLE
The
American |
RUNNING
TIME
105
minutes |
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Produced
by:
George
Clooney
Grant Heslov
Anne Carey
Jill Green
Ann Wingate |
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Written by
(based on the novel by Martin Booth):
Rowan Joffé |
Review
Anton Corbijn, the brilliant Dutch
photographer, music video director and creative mind behind much of U2's
and Depeche Mode's visual output during the past two decades, took the
plunge into feature filmmaking with Control in 2007, a biopic about Joy
Division frontman Ian Curtis that earned the Dutchman rave reviews. His
second film, The American, is a far bigger test. This
time he is directing a Hollywood superstar and making a film without the
safety net that his extensive knowledge of the music business provided
him with in
Control. This time, Anton Corbijn is exposed.
Although the filmmaker again
demonstrates his talent for compositions and choice of locations, he
also reveals that he doesn't have full command of all facets of the
craft yet. The clumsy editing and inhibited storytelling drain the life
out of this potentially interesting story of a disillusioned assassin
who goes into hibernation in a sleepy Italian village. Corbijn's lack of
experience with actors also becomes apparent: the performances feel
stiff, and only an experienced George Clooney on autopilot saves the
film in a lacking middle part. In the end, we understand that the
denouement is quite clever, and the film does retain a nerve, but the
story is told as if by a deaf-mute; an indistinct grumble from which you
must guess your way to the essence.
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