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Blog by Don Kennedy

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The American

The American is the screen adaptation of Martin Booth’s 1990 best selling novel A Very Private Gentleman starring George Clooney who in 2005’s Syriana beefed up to play Bob Barnes and here buffs down to play Edwards (who goes by the alias of Jack). He’s a sinewy and sullen lone wolf who seems to have driven to homicide not only some rarely vindictive Swedes but also his apparent comrades. Why? Good question but eventually we assume it has to do with his skill set for creating unique munitions. After literally dodging a Swedish bullet (well several actually) he hides out in Italy the land of Clooney’s real life palatial digs. Coincidence? Maybe but certainly convenient. He toils over his next assignment for Mathilde (Thekla Reuten), a dangerous hottie with a lethal laundry list of required options, while hiding in what could be any of the picturesque hilltop villages that typically dot the Italian landscape. Here he befriends the local priest Father Benedetto (Paolo Bonacelli) who asks more questions than the local polizia when bodies stack up but Jack’s answers reveal a lot about his tortured mind. Realizing that having a relationship diminishes his edge Jack pays for his female companionship only to hook up with Clara (Violante Placido) the one hooker who sees him as much more than a steady customer - but is she for real or is she the set up that is going to finally do Jack in? The American is this years annual Clooney fall thriller that always seems to start the clock that counts down to the Academy Awards and it is a pleasantly thrilling ride. Dues to some lapses in logic this one may get overlooked by the Americans that decide who gets Oscar but because of its European flavour the foreign press may take note while handing out Golden Globes.

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