The American (Blu-ray Disc, 2010)

'The American' is truly one of the best films of 2010. A deliberately paced, methodical thriller about a man who is good at what he does, but doesn't want to do it anymore. Full of wonderful performances and beautiful cinematography, it may not be for everyone, but I'm sure many viewers will love it. Universal's Blu-ray release is more clear-cut. Its proficient video transfer is striking and rewarding, its faithful DTS-HD Master Audio track is invigorating and immersive, and its simple but satisfying supplemental package will sustain fans of the film. Overall, this one comes highly recommended.

Never trust the quotes on the DVD covers "Gripping" says Roger Ebert "A Labyrinth of Seduction, Secrets and Suspense!" claims some guy from Fox TV. "Slow moving, Plodding and Uneventful" whoops Zipomatic! oh wait, that last one actually seems pretty good... yeah, trust that last guy.

Look at all of the pictures on the box art of George Clooney holding a gun! Wow! This must be a non stop thrill ride, right? um... no. Clooney is an assassin who hides out in Italy after some bad guys track him down in Sweden. While he is there he makes a gun for a client.... and that's about it. He visits lots of pretty places, he finds a prostitute who he likes, he also chats with a priest on occasions. I say he does this, but what he mainly does is walk around slowly and says nothing for good chunks of the movie, I guess that builds up the "suspense" and then when he does talk to people, the dialogue is very short and swift. They get right to the point, because they are all business these assassin types.

So will the bad guys find him? Is Clooney a bad guy himself? Who can he trust? Do you really care after 100 minutes of watching Clooney doing very little? (albeit dramatically) I know I didn't.

Despite the fabulous George Clooney, who is great to look at all by himself, and the beautiful Italian scenery this movie does not offer much in the way of entertainment. The dialogue is sparse, the plot barely there and there is very little character development. I found myself drifting off to sleep several times, only to shake myself awake in the hope that the action or thrills would start at any moment. Unfortunately, that hope was dashed. What the film did offer was a shot of full frontal nudity, lots of scenes of Clooney walking up and down stairs around his apartment, and plenty of driving scenes. The opening scene had my hopes up that this would indeed be an action-thriller worth its salt, but what I received was a sparsely seasoned tour of small-towns outside of Rome. If you love cinematography, or even just looking at George, then this movie is for you. If you want heart-pounding thrills, a plot or a sense of satisfaction at spending two hours watching a movie...keep looking.

This film is slow-moving and somewhat dull as it lags in many places. The American is definitely not something that will appeal to the average viewer.
Clooney has made many good films in his career, but this is not one of his most memorable movies.

This was a good film for anyone to watch . I rate this film an 8.5 thanks........................​..............