The American

If a movie ever deserves to be called a slow burn, this one takes the cake. It starts off subtly with Clooney's character taking a stroll through some snow with a lady friend, only to be taking on gunfire moments later. We quickly discover, without being punched in the face, that he's an expert killer/assassin and that's about it. We don't get to know who he is, what makes him tick or where he comes from. The past is behind him and he lives in the moment: indeed, as he grudgingly befriends a priest he admits that he tries to escape history.

What I really like about the slow pace is observation: you watch Jack/Edward carry out an assignment, performing what seems to be mundane tasks, although they are incredibly interesting. All we know is that he is to build a gun for somebody. We slowly learn he's amazing at doing these, but puts up a front and tells people he doesn't get along with machines. What we are observing is a man struggling with inner demons and falls in love with a prostitute. Although he may be accused of losing his edge, he proves time and again that he has not. For what we gather as a cold blooded killer, he certainly has enough people calling him Mr. Butterfly.

Perhaps it's an unhealthy obsession with assassin's and these types, but watching him at work, gathering supplies, building parts of the gun, was all very fascinating. The action is sparse but edge of the seat, as is the rest of the movie. The locale is beautiful and tightly woven into the feel of the movie. You don't get a host of big names running around vying for screen time: you get legitimate foreign actors on location. Clooney plays the part perfectly: subdued and subtle, showing the right amount of emotion at the right times. I can completely understand why I never saw this hit the local theatre, which makes me a little sad. Hopefully, you can spread the word and check this little gem out.