The AmericanReviewed by
Pete Hammond
September 02, 2010
Clooney plays Jack, an American abroad—and an assassin. When a job in Sweden ends badly, he relocates to the Italian region of Abruzzo, far from the killer lifestyle he has been thrust into. There he instead takes on the task of developing a super-gun for another mystery assassin named Mathilde (Thekla Reuten). Meandering through this village, he befriends a chatty priest, Father Benedetto (Paolo Bonacelli) and has a hot—and we mean sizzling—affair with a prostitute named Clara (Violante Placido). But can he trust her? And is he really safe in this seemingly peaceful environment? What "The American" has going for it in spades is a Clooney performance we have never seen before. The actor dials it down several notches to create a portrait of a man haunted by the nature of the profession he has chosen and forced to live in a space where he can trust no one. Clooney, with limited dialogue and pained expressions throughout, goes deeply internal to portray a guy trapped in so many ways and unable to set himself free. His scenes opposite Placido are the exception; with her, in some of the most truly erotic moments caught on film this year, his character fully comes to life. One heartbreaking sequence set by a river bank poignantly finds him doubting her sincerity, a telltale sign seen only in Clooney's eyes that this is a truly damaged man looking to retrieve an ounce of humanity, even if the odds are not good. Evoking the essence of classic screen acting, Clooney develops a multilayered, fully three-dimensional person, but one that keeps an emotional distance from the audience. Placido is gorgeous and quite affecting as Clara, even if a hooker with a heart of gold is not the most original of screen creations. Bonacelli is lively and colorful as the priest with lots of sage advice, while Reuten is very fine as a mysterious colleague who could spell trouble. Audiences drawn in by Clooney and the action images the film's trailer conveys may be disappointed, but those looking for something with quiet integrity and the soul of European auteurs in this very different cinematic time will find much to savor. Genre: Drama. Written by: Rowan Joffe. Directed by: Anton Corbijn. Starring: George Clooney, Thekla Reuten, Paolo Bonacelli, Violante Placido. |
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Events Calendar
Industry Grosses
| Rank | Title | Gross |
|---|---|---|
| 1. | WICKED | $1,534,111 |
| 2. | THE LION KING | $1,445,999 |
| 3. | SPIDER-MAN TURN OFF THE DARK | $1,433,241 |
| 4. | THE BOOK OF MORMON | $1,425,488 |
| 5. | HOW TO SUCCEED IN BUSINESS WITHOUT REALLY TRYING | $1,319,824 |
| 6. | WAR HORSE | $960,191 |
| 7. | JERSEY BOYS | $915,982 |
| 8. | PORGY AND BESS | $878,884 |
| 9. | FOLLIES | $878,880 |
| 10. | THE MOUNTAINTOP | $693,128 |
Week ending Feb 06, 2012.
Credit: The Broadway League
| Rank | Title | Gross |
|---|---|---|
| 1. | CHRONICLE | $22,004,098 |
| 2. | WOMAN IN BLACK, THE | $20,874,072 |
| 3. | GREY, THE | $9,300,999 |
| 4. | BIG MIRACLE | $7,760,205 |
| 5. | UNDERWORLD AWAKENING | $5,500,744 |
| 6. | ONE FOR THE MONEY | $5,206,279 |
| 7. | RED TAILS | $4,735,595 |
| 8. | DESCENDANTS, THE | $4,552,943 |
| 9. | MAN ON A LEDGE | $4,351,036 |
| 10. | EXTREMELY LOUD & INCREDIBLY CLOSE | $3,802,367 |
Week ending Feb 06, 2012.
