His name is Jack (George Clooney)… sometimes. He is called many things over the film including The American and more puzzlingly Mr Butterfly.
He tells all he is a photographer for magazines… but even a quick glance at the poster will tell you this is false.
He must be ready to drop everything and cut all ties at short notice… which is chillingly evident after even the first scene. (Cutting ties can hurt.)
He says he is no good with machines… this part is simply a lie.
Like the film Jack moves slowly much of the time, he is deliberate, thoughtful and often silent. The bulk of the film takes place in rural Italy as Jack maintains a low profile. He spends most days alone, keeping fit and ready, and reading… about butterflies.
A development occurs when Jack is offered a job that differs a little from most in that he is not to be ‘hands on”. He deals with his contractor only occasionally to ascertain the details of the job so he can prepare, and checks in with his boss periodically for updates, namely how the “Swedes” keep locating him.
Though Jack has no need for company most of the time he forges a cautious relationship with an elderly priest, keeping the conversation at the most vague levels and never really opening up.
Jack also has 2 other drawbacks to remaining under the radar, 1/ he looks like George Clooney and 2/ like most males he has a dick. This leads him to a local pleasure-dispensary business where he forges a business relationship with a ‘worker’ named Clara. He wiles away the days and evenings preparing his project for his current employer and spending time with Clara (who is as always wayyyy too hot to be a real hooker), though we know something is brewing.
It’s hard to describe The American, in reality not much happens for a large proportion of the running time and Clooney has precious little acting to do, he simply has to appear like he is emotionless and going about his everyday existence. Even the finale is a little flat, like they were building up to something for over an hour and then thought ‘no let’s just end the same way we got here’.
Final Rating – 6.5 / 10. If you are looking for a Lethal Weapon or even a Hitman clone then this is not the film for you, but it is well made and a reasonable hour and a half spent on the couch.