There are countless films that have someone saying "Don't talk to anyone until you get there." Well few films take that as seriously as The American.
Taken from the novel A Very Private Gentleman by Martin Booth, this film will either please or annoy viewers depending on expectations.
Did you come to see George Clooney play an assassin with lots of killing, running and hold on to your seat excitement? I'm pretty sure the dozen or so people who walked out halfway through the movie were expecting that.
They did not expect what The American delivered, and that is a film focusing on the muted tension that is the daily life of a professional killer.
The story follows Clooney playing the well-worn plot line of an assassin taking on one last job.
(Those last jobs never go well for assassins do they?)
Clooney is being hunted down in the remote wilderness of Sweden. After an escape he heads to a small village in Rome where he hides out and takes one last job.
Here he goes through the quiet life one has to with his profession.
However he ends up befriending a priest who has his suspicions and there are some romantic possibilities involving a prostitute with a heart of gold.
Going into this film you have to know the pacing is very, very slow but done fairly well.
Ladies looking to get some steamy scenes with Clooney should also know that there is a lengthy love making scene but it focuses only on the gorgeous Violante Placido with no Clooney to be seen - I mention this because some female audience members were quite upset about it.
If this sounds like your cup of tea then please, enjoy.
