The Film:

The American should have been called, The Pragmatic American. Jack in the USA/Edward abroad (George Clooney) is well-paid assassin on the run from some Swedes, who have attempted to kill him. Do not be late for this feature’s opening: Jack kills his attackers nonchalantly during the first scene in the film. Then he flees to Italy where much of the film was shot to meet up with Larry, his contact. As Edward, he speaks poor Italian and walks down ancient cobblestone streets in the village of Abruzzo (interestingly enough and surely not by accident, Hemingway uses Abuzzo as the setting for his WWI novel A Farewell to Arms). While on the run, he continues to work by constructing a rifle out of mostly auto parts for another contract killer Mathilde (Thelka Reuten). A craftsman, Edward works with precision; he is fun to watch as he snaps pieces into a compact rifle. But then I don’t even change my own oil.

Over the course of the film, Edward plays Hemingway’s strong, laconic type, only communicating a few others. With he local priest Father Benedetto (Paulo Bonacelli), he shares a few dinners and conversation about God and forgiveness (Benedetto and Edward function as mirrors to each other, allowing each to see the truth each would have missed alone). A man with few needs, Edward visits the lovely Italian prostitute Ingrid (Irina Björklund) who radiates a steamy sexuality like Ingrid Bergman. Though other streetwalkers demand Edward’s attention, he only has eyes for Ingrid. When the pair falls in love and Edward attempts to occasion his own farewell to arms, he discovers that his lover might not be all that she has seemed. The music by the “German Elvis”-turned-composer Herbert Groenemeyer (you may also remember his acting in Das Boot) is standout and adds to the ponderous tone of the film, which is based on Martin Booth’s novel A Very Private Gentleman. If you are a Killer Film fan who likes espionage thrillers, you will definitely want to catch this provocative effort on the big, and now, small screen.

The Blu-ray:

Audio/Video: Focus Features/Universal offer up a stellar HD presentation. The film’s wonderful cinematography looks gorgeous, with fine details, sharp colors, solid blacks in the shadows. The DTS track is decent, but the film is  mostly dialogue heavy outside of the early on gunfire. Still, everything is clear and sharp.

Commentary: Director Anton Corbijn flies solo, and even with his thick Dutch accent, he can be heard and offers up a solid chat about the film, the making-of and themes. It’s a good listen.

Journey to Redemption: The Making of The American: It’s an EPK featurette, but it offers up an interesting comparison to the Sergio Leone westerns. Talk about it in the comments section below!

Deleted Scenes which are easily nothing more than some scene extensions; typical Universal BD-Live stuff; and a Digital Copy round out the extras.

The Film: Rating: 4 out of 5 stars

The Blu-ray: Rating: 3 out of 5 stars

The American

Over the course of the film, Edward plays Hemingway’s strong, laconic type, only communicating a few others. With he local priest Father Benedetto (Paulo Bonacelli), he shares a few dinners and conversation about God and forgiveness (Benedetto and Edward function as mirrors to each other, allowing each to see the truth each would have missed alone). A man with few needs, Edward visits the lovely Italian prostitute Ingrid (Irina Björklund) who radiates a steamy sexuality like Ingrid Bergman. Though other streetwalkers demand Edward’s attention, he only has eyes for Ingrid. When the pair falls in love and Edward attempts to occasion his own farewell to arms, he discovers that his lover might not be all that she has seemed. The music by the “German Elvis”-turned-composer Herbert Groenemeyer (you may also remember his acting in Das Boot) is standout and adds to the ponderous tone of the film, which is based on Martin Booth’s novel A Very Private Gentleman. If you are a Killer Film fan who likes espionage thrillers, you will definitely want to catch this provocative effort on the big screen.

Rating: 4 out of 5 stars

Here’s the top ten from Box-office Mojo:

1. The American ($13mil)

2. Takers ($11.4mil)

3. Machete ($11.3mil)

4. The Last Exorcism ($7.6mil)

5. Going the Distance ($6.9mil)

6. The Expendables ($6.6mil)

7. The Other Guys ($5.4mill)

8. Eat Pray Love ($4.8)

9. Inception ($4.5mil)

10. Nanny McPhee Returns ($3.6)

This week will see the release of Resident Evil: Afterlife (September 10), Bran Nue Dae (Limited), Heartbreaker (Limited), I’m Still Here (Limited), Legendary (Limited), Lovely, Still (Limited), The Romantics (Limited), and The Virginity Hit (Limited).

Alone among assassins, Jack (Clooney) is a master craftsman. When a job in Sweden ends more harshly than expected for this American abroad, he vows to his contact Larry (Bruce Altman) that his next assignment will be his last. Jack reports to the Italian countryside, where he holes up in a small town and relishes being away from death for a spell. The assignment, as specified by a Belgian woman, Mathilde (Thekla Reuten), is in the offing as a weapon is constructed. Surprising himself, Jack seeks out the friendship of local priest Father Benedetto (Paolo Bonacelli) and pursues romance with local woman Clara (Violante Placido). But by stepping out of the shadows, Jack may be tempting fate.

The American dives into theaters on September 1rst from Focus Features. Let us know what you think of the new poster and trailer below.:

Alone among assassins, Jack (Clooney) is a master craftsman. When a job in Sweden ends more harshly than expected for this American abroad, he vows to his contact Larry (Bruce Altman) that his next assignment will be his last. Jack reports to the Italian countryside, where he holes up in a small town and relishes being away from death for a spell. The assignment, as specified by a Belgian woman, Mathilde (Thekla Reuten), is in the offing as a weapon is constructed. Surprising himself, Jack seeks out the friendship of local priest Father Benedetto (Paolo Bonacelli) and pursues romance with local woman Clara (Violante Placido). But by stepping out of the shadows, Jack may be tempting fate.

This latest novel adaptation, originally written by Martin Booth, is set to come out in theaters under Focus Features on September 1rst.:

George Clooney can still be seen in the recently released Jason Reitman film Up in the Air and just wrapped up production for the Anton Corbijn directed feature The American. Payne is also attached to produce and direct the upcoming novel adaptation of Fork in the Road.