The American - A Romantic Thriller.

(2010) ★★★★☆

'The American' is like a poem, a very beautiful one. It goes in rhythm with perfect score and crafted shots. Lines are few, short but meaningful. It delivers suspenseful and thrilling moments. Also there's tranquil romance. It doesn't start like you think it will, but it does end like you think it should. What an accomplishment!

The intriguing opening scene is there like an eye-opener to draw you in instantly. A film going off like that will always make you wonder, and want to find out more. Though it doesn't explain quite much later, it does convince you of this man named Jack (George Clooney), his loyalty to his profession that soon becomes a nightmare he can't get rid of.

Jack's motto is, 'I'm not good with machines', but the thing is, he is indeed, with guns in particular. He's a hitman. We know from the beginning that someone wants him dead. He then escapes to Rome where he meets up with Pavel, seemingly someone he works for or with, to discuss his one last job before he can be finally out of this business. It doesn't even require him to pull the trigger. All he has to do is to assemble a unique sniper rifle for another assassin. Things however, are a lot more complicated than that. Pavel provides him a car and a cell phone, telling him to lay low where he's told and be in touch, but he doesn't listen. Glad he doesn't. Thus the real exciting part begins.

The pace, music, suspense, atmosphere, and romance are all the elements that make me care so much about what's going to happen to George Clooney whose performances are pretty convincing this time around. An ordinary story told in such a gripping and poetic way really is a great demo of the magic of motion pictures.

Roger Ebert, the godfather of movie critics, praised this film and said it's so 'Zen'. Meaning there's something more than meets the eye that can only be experienced rather than be expressed. I can't disagree. It's like an endangered butterfly species that fascinates Jack much in a sense. I know, because he's got a tattoo of that on the back of his neck. I guess I was fascinated too, because it caused me one sleepless night.