The American is an exercise in style, and patience.  The entire film lacks in both dialogue and plot.  And the usually smarmy Clooney we see, and the annoyingly dashing smile he gets by on, isn’t seen even once.  This is an unusually subdued performance for the mega-star, and it’s an unusually subdued film.  Clooney plays a man going by the name Jake in the beginning of the film, and then takes on the name Edward.  It’s never quite clear what his profession is, but it’s safe to assume it’s illegal, and probably violent.  The bulk of the story takes place in a tiny village east of Rome, in Italy.  He’s hired to create a custom weapon for an attractive colleague (a sultry Thekla Reuten).  In the small village, isolated, and most likely battling inner demons, Edward befriends both the local priest, and a local whore (an exceptional Violante Placido), who becomes so enamored by him, she stops charging, and asks him out to dinner.  Damn it Clooney, we get it.  You get everything.

Believe it or not, that’s basically the gist.  The length of the film is dedicated to showing Edward and his craft–his dedication, his proficiency.  Corbijn’s film is adapted for the screen by Rowan Joffe (28 Weeks Later), who adapted the novel ‘A Private Gentleman’ by Marion Booth.  I’d be extremely interested to read the source material, knowing now, what is shown on screen.  Corbijn finds a delicate balance between just showing the audience that Edward is inaccessible, closed off to the viewer, and actually making him too uninterested to matter.  In my opinion, Corbijn struck that perfect balance.

It’s difficult not to call to mind Jim Jarmusch’s The Limits of Control from last year.  As the two films share much.  Both feature a lone man, in a foreign country.  In The American it’s Italy, in Limits, it’s Spain.  They both take place in European villages, and star lonely men on a violent mission.  And both are starkly minimal in their portrayal of characters, locations, and interactions.  Any praise I heaped on Jarmusch’s film would most certainly apply to The American.

With such a lack of plot, and even a lack of words, you have to wonder what is actually offered to make the film worth watching.  Well, there’s plenty to be taken advantage of.  Every scene is remarkably beautiful.  Mr. Corbijn is a photographer turned filmmaker, and it shows in his remarkable ability to compose every shot with such skill and decidedly relaxed confidence.  His prodigious knowledge of how to capture landscape and architecture on film is outstanding.   This cinematography is matched by original music by Herbert Grönemeyer, who assists in keeping up tension (there may, or may not be men bent on taking Edward’s life).  The American belongs in an arthouse theatre, and I’m guessing that there will be a fair amount of people unamused that this film is being marketed as a summer blockbuster.  Sure, you may be disappointed if you’re expecting one thing and getting another.  But I promise you, what you actually get is much more interesting than anything else you could have seen at the cinema.  Both Clooney and Corbijn have earned a new level of respect from this viewer.

3.5 out of 4 stars

Fantastic Mr. Fox takes a whole lot of genius, mixes it up, and turns it in to cinematic gold.  Take one great story by Roald Dahl, combine it with the unique vision of Wes Anderson, mix in a little of the frighteningly pessimistic and hilarious Noah Baumbach, along with the voices of some of the best actors around, and you’ve got a film that promises to knock the socks off all those aged five to ninety nine.

Mr. Fox (George Clooney) is a suave, thrill-seeking fox, married to one Mrs. Fox (Meryl Streep).  When Mrs. Fox becomes pregnant, Mr. Fox is pressured into promising to quit his dangerous job of stealing chickens, and becomes a columnist for a newspaper.  He keeps his promise for years.  His son grows up to be Ash, an eccentric little fellow voiced by Jason Schwartzman.  Mrs. Fox’s nephew Kristofferson (Eric Anderson), who’s father is sick with double pneumonia, comes to live with the family, who move into a beautiful tree home near dangerous bird farmers that hate foxes.  Ash and Kristofferson keep a lively competition of greatness throughout the film that is endlessly entertaining.  The temptation, being so close in proximity, is too great for Mr. Fox, and he stages one last, great heist, that throws the entire local animals population into chaos.

The animation is a mix of computer graphics and stop-motion techniques.  The ads promise Fantastic Mr. Fox to be something you’ve never seen before, and I attest, this is the case.  It’s a beautiful film, filled with colors and effects that lure you into the wonderful mind of Mr. Dahl.  Anderson and Baumbach adapted the story into what is simply one of the best scripts of the years.  Besides the main cast, the peripheral characters are tremendous, voiced by Owen Wilson, Michael Gambon, Willem Dafoe and Bill Murray just to name a few.  Jason Schwartzman’s character Ash really steals the show, with perfect comedic timing, and some of the most quotable stuff we’ve heard all year.

The cliches really do apply to this film  This is hilarious, touching, crowd-pleasing, and certainly one of the best films of the year.  A must-see for everyone!

4 out of 4 stars

The Coen brothers supply the film with a terrific, clockwork script (the kind we’ve learned to expect from them) that shows their fascination with those who fatally act first, before learning all the facts.  Frances McDormand and Brad Pitt lead the whole cast with their comedic prowess.  Pitt is a good actor, there’s no doubt, but his best roles are the ones of the stupid pretty boy, and Burn is the perfect example.  The rest of the cast seems to be a who’s who of the acting world (Tilda Swinton, despite being involved in that Narnia nonsense, must have joined this esteemed rank as of her Oscar win earlier this year).

The plot is so complicated (and I don’t want to give away any spoilers), a summary isn’t really possible.  At the end, it doesn’t make a whole lot of a sense, but suffice it to say, this film is terrifically funny, and you should watch it.

3 out of 4 stars

Rottentomatoes: 78% – Cream of the Crop: 54%

Below is the ‘approved for all audiences’ trailer, and the redband trailer (squeamish be warned).