The American

The most stylish film of the year so far. Slow and simple? Yeah, but at the same time very well made, atmospheric and riveting. After some time, I’m raising the rating from four to five stars, the experience grew in me. Very nice alternative. Edit: I bring it back down to four, those five stars were too much :) (15/12/2010)

The American seems somehow not anchored in time. It could easily have taken place sometime during the seventies or eighties and it would have worked just fine. Simply old school. Beautiful camerawork, Corbijn’s solid directing and excellent Clooney. Violante Placido is so beautiful it hurts. I have the biggest problem with how interchangeable the whole movie appears. In reality, it’s somewhere between 3 and 4 stars, but maybe I’ll change my mind after I watch it again. (30/07/2011)

A chamber film, unconventionally presented and surprisingly low in action, about a hitman who (in classic fashion) hides out in a quiet, backwater European town after a bad deal or because of a potential threat. It's hard to say what the main charm of this film is – maybe it's the confinement to the genre as such, or the poetry of that Italian landscape, which gives a calming and wholesome impression while hiding the murderous bastard, but for your part you kind of wish him that calm because he's a tremendous likable guy. Artful, hypnotic, refined. And the romantic storyline was nice. (04/01/2013)

George Clooney just loves the Italian countryside, and no other film better illustrates the reason for that (or in a more beautiful way)... Anton Corbijn is a director with renowned artistic skills. At first glance, The American is quiet and sad portrait of a hit man who, at first glance, is also quiet and sad. It’s not the first time we have seen such a story, but it’s the first time it has been filmed in such an intimate fashion, without the need for action, but with a constant sense of restlessness and uncertainty. It is a great fit for a lonely moment spent over a glass of whiskey. Let us appreciate new views on old things. Originality is (and increasingly will be) rare in films. (20/01/2011)

An art film set in a beautiful, forgotten Italian town, with stunning, sometimes almost panoramic cinematography capturing the local landscape. And I shouldn’t forget the intriguing plot with a nearly perfect Clooney playing the role of a killer. All in all, it sounds like an ideal film, so let’s summarize: Most people found the film slow and boring, but this was the director's and the film’s creators' intention. The contrasts worked perfectly here; the images of Italy have a nearly medieval feel, and the viewer feels somewhat safe, then suddenly BANG and CRASH, and the idyll is shattered (living nature vs. the life of a killer). The characters were also given attention, with no flat personalities but individuals with clear motivations and well-developed personalities. The brooding Clooney is a perfect character; he himself doesn’t even know whom to trust, and the dialogues between him and the priest are convincingly believable. I liked that he could quickly shift from rather friendly behavior to a feared opponent you wouldn’t want to cross paths with. I might point out one thing: I still don’t understand why they were after him in the end; I missed the reason for that. Otherwise, the ending was well-crafted, with some violence included. I don’t understand the local ratings. I give it 81%. (16/08/2018)