The American

Released: 2010
Drama
Director: Anton Corbijn
Starring: George Clooney, Violante Placido
Running Time: 105 minutes
Rated: R



The breakdown: An American assassin hides out in Italy after his last assignment ended badly.  Based on the book by Martin Booth titled A Very Private Gentleman.

So I get to the end of this film and I really loved it.  I checked out the reviews and see that they are really lopsided with lots of critics and viewers complaining it was boring.
Well, it's not boring for the intelligent, patient viewer who is interested in a CHARACTER STUDY more than someone looking for an action flick where there's a big body count and no intelligent dialogue.

With me writing a book, it's easy for me to see how hard it is to write a good story.  This is a good story, it's gripping, and even though it's slow paced, it's engaging.

An assassin hides out in an Italian town after his last job went sideways.  Despite him trying to blend in, he's very lonely and seeks out a friendship with a local priest and a relationship with a prostitute who he develops feelings for.  I don't want to say too much so as to not ruin the story, but know this...This is not an action spy film like James Bond.  There's not a ton of eye candy and explosions and shoot outs.  This is a character study and a brilliant one at that.

4 and 1/2 out of 5 for a brilliant clean and simple film.