In The Mood

Finally caught up with The American.  What a horrible title.  Generic, and isn't even that relevant to the film.  It's based on a novel entitled A Very Private Gentleman.  Now that's a title.

It starts out reasonably well, with George Clooney as the title character forced to hide out in an Italian village when he discovers some Swedes are trying to kill him.  (Those nasty Swedes.) We're in the familiar world of spy thrillers, and Clooney as a quiet, efficient gunsmith does a good job.

The atmosphere continues as Clooney gets to know some of the villagers, including a priest and a prostitute--though his characters is mostly quiet, even uncommunicative--and has his handler set up another job.  Watching him fashion a new gun and other forms of secret-agent type interaction are handled well.  Lots of nice scenery, too.  (Clooney lives in Italy, doesn't he?  Was this like a home movie?)

But it never adds up to much.  And the "surprise" ending is distressingly familiar.  The film didn't do too well, and many critics noted its restrained tone.  Not great in an action film, but I didn't mind that it was contemplative.  It just, ultimately, doesn't have enough to contemplate.