***Behind the scenes images, here***
The H-Bomb: George Clooney stars as Jack, an American hitman in Europe who has been targeted for assassination by a group of Swedes. After surviving an ambush, he is sent by his contact Pavel (Johan Leysen) to hide out in a small Italian village, under the name Edward. While there, Jack is assigned to acquire a sniper rifle for a mysterious female client, Mathilde (Thekla Reuten). During his time in the village, he befriends an elderly Priest, Benedetto (Paola Bonacelli), and strikes up a relationship with a beautiful local prostitute, Clara (Violante Placido). But before Jack has time to get too comfortable, he finds out that his enemies have somehow tracked him to this village, and his fear and paranoia start to grow as he begins to question who he can trust.
I read one review of “The American” that likened it to the work of Michelangelo Antonioni, specifically to films like “Blow Up” and “The Passenger”, and I definitely see the connection. This is a thriller crafted with a true European sensibility. It is very slow burning, very low key, often very quiet, with the camera acting as a fly on the wall, just watching the characters and events as they happen. When acts of violence do occur, they are very jarring and loud, breaking the tranquility of the picture, and when they are over, things become quiet once again.
We don’t get to know Jack so much as we simply observe him. We know nothing about his past, we don’t know specifically who he works for, nor do we know exactly what happened to get him to his current situation. What we do know is what the movie shows us; that he is a proficient killer, that he’s been one for quite a long time, and that he seems to have lost his taste for it and is ready to give it up. That, and he does seem to have a strange fixation for butterflies.
Really, that’s all we need to know. The film is essentially a snapshot of a certain point of time in this man’s life, and the specifics of his past and the plot he’s tangled up in are things that we can fill in the blanks to ourselves, if we so desire. Some people will criticize the movie for exactly that, that we should be given more insight into the bigger picture surrounding this character, but I disagree. The intended focus of this film is strictly on the character of Jack and his current predicament. We can tell from his interactions with Pavel that there is a long, complicated history between these two men, and that’s good enough, more explanation isn’t needed.
Clooney gives a restrained, nuanced performance as Jack, a man who is cold, at times ruthless, who always keeps his emotions in check. Early on, we see just how ice cold this motherfucker can be when he does something I won‘t give away here. But deep down, there is something resembling a human being in there. We get a sense of the character’s baggage and paranoia and the toll that his profession has taken on him. It’s a role of very few words as he is silent for long stretches of the film, but he effectively conveys the nature of his character, nonetheless. Clooney once again proves what a terrific actor he really is here.
The other performance worth noting comes from Placido, who plays the hooker who wins Jack’s heart. Not only is she incredibly gorgeous, but she’s incredibly appealing and brings a genuine warmth to her character that acts as the perfect foil to Jack’s stoic nature. I certainly hope to see more of her down the road.
The film is directed with a very sure hand by Anton Corbijn, who masterfully builds tension throughout the film, particularly in the last act, and he stages the sporadic violence in a way that makes it pack a real punch. But his talent doesn’t just lend itself to the ugly aspects of the film. He allows the camera to linger and really capture the beauty of the Italian countryside and the village, and just gives us a real feel for the place. I haven’t seen any of his previous work, but he is certainly on my radar now.
Personally, I really enjoyed and appreciated this film, but I’m not sure who I can recommend it to. Its style and pacing are very European, meaning quite slow and languid, and it’s also quite European in its generous depiction of nudity… but since it’s the stunning Placido who appears nude, I can’t imagine many people who would mind. Its overall story is also deceptively straightforward when all is said and done, which may disappoint some.
All in all, though, if you’re a fan of Euro-thrillers, or of seeing George Clooney playing an out and out badass, then I strongly suggest giving it a look.
