So we got a chance to watch "The American" on Blu-ray that we rented on Netflix. This was an amazingly shot film. Basically it is about an American assassin (George Clooney) who goes by just Jack to his superior and other assassins, across seas who is trying to find resolve in his life. We open in snow covered Sweden where Jack is taking a break between gigs. After an unexpected ambush he decides to contact his control, Pavel who sends him to a remote location but doesn't feel a good vibe so ends up in a small Italian town called Castelvecchio assuming the role of a magazine photographer waiting for his control to take care of the problem in Sweden. While waiting the control has another job for him involving the construction of a special weapon for a Belgian assassin named Mathilde. While doing this he comes into the aquantance of a local priest Father Benedetto and a relationship with a local prostitute, Clara. Things start to heat up when he is being followed and we wonder if it is time for him to get out. The movie is very slow if you are looking for an action shoot em up type movie then this one isn't for you. It is a slow moving thriller that makes you feel like the character is always looking over his shoulder to see if he is going to get a bullet between the eyes or if someone is following his every move. You feel like he doesn't know who he can trust even his closest relationships. George Clooney is the only really recognizable actor in the film. There is alot of ambient background and enviromental sounds and not a whole lot of dialogue in the film. There is a good fair amount of nudity giving it the R rating but the movie overall is is really good thriller. I give it three shotguns out of five.
