Seeing that I am Dutch, I should be at least a bit proud that year after Paul Verhoeven, we finally have a Dutchman that gets to make a high profile movie starring no less than George Clooney. But after seeing "The American", two entirely other emotions come to mind: boredom and shame.
Boredom because, quite frankly, this is one of the most boring movies of the century. I've seen my share of slow/artsy movies and I am generally OK with them, but they should offer something other than just pretty pictures, and that just isn't the case here.
Basically, "The American" is one and a half hours (although it feels like three) of nicely shot nothingness. It's full of beautiful nature and beautiful people, and beautiful nature shots of beautiful people, but all they seem to do is drive around, sit in bars, and stare. The dialog is very minimal and totally uninteresting, and the characters are dull and lifeless.
The minimal plot there is (assassin goes into hiding) is painfully clichéd and predictable, and at the same time manages to be silly to a fault and filled with subplots that are dead on arrival.
For example: half the movie revolves around George Clooney taking months of time to create a very basic rifle for the woman who is gonna shoot him with it...she is with him in remote locations all the time, yet she chooses to shoot him in broad daylight in the middle of a crowded street? Right.
I really wanted to like this movie but it's a perfect example of the Emperor's New Clothes...beautiful packaged nonsense that goes nowhere, conveys nothing, and evokes only boredom.
Boredom because, quite frankly, this is one of the most boring movies of the century. I've seen my share of slow/artsy movies and I am generally OK with them, but they should offer something other than just pretty pictures, and that just isn't the case here.
Basically, "The American" is one and a half hours (although it feels like three) of nicely shot nothingness. It's full of beautiful nature and beautiful people, and beautiful nature shots of beautiful people, but all they seem to do is drive around, sit in bars, and stare. The dialog is very minimal and totally uninteresting, and the characters are dull and lifeless.
The minimal plot there is (assassin goes into hiding) is painfully clichéd and predictable, and at the same time manages to be silly to a fault and filled with subplots that are dead on arrival.
For example: half the movie revolves around George Clooney taking months of time to create a very basic rifle for the woman who is gonna shoot him with it...she is with him in remote locations all the time, yet she chooses to shoot him in broad daylight in the middle of a crowded street? Right.
I really wanted to like this movie but it's a perfect example of the Emperor's New Clothes...beautiful packaged nonsense that goes nowhere, conveys nothing, and evokes only boredom.