MOVIE: THE AMERICAN

With The American, Dutch director Anton Corbijn (Control) has crafted a hypnotic, psychologically-complex thriller, wherein large stretches of silence are sporadically punctuated by moments of violence and emotional resonance. George Clooney stars as Jack, an American assassin who retreats to a small village in Italy’s Gran Sasso mountain range, after being set upon by Swiss hitmen. Against his better judgment, Jack courts a beautiful prostitute named Clara (Violante Placido), even as he is haunted by the tragic fate that befell his last lover.  Exceptionally adept at playing tragic anti-heroes, Clooney (Up in the Air, Michael Clayton) delivers a richly-layered performance; somehow evoking such tangible loneliness and neurosis despite Jack’s cold exterior. Some will bemoan the film’s glacial characters, bleak outlook, fractured plot and lethargic pace – but in many ways this is exactly where its appeal lies. Although it may not be to everyone’s tastes, The American is a fascinating exercise in minimalism – a film that says so much by saying so little. (JH)