Movie review: The American **

The American  **
Stars: George Clooney, Paolo Bonacelli, Violante Placido
Director: Anton Corbijn
Rated: R
Showing: Neptune Theatre week of Friday, October 1 – showing daily at 7:30pm except Sunday 6pm. For more information about film times, call 292-7296.
Runtime: 105 minutes
Crime/drama

Anyone expecting a Bond or Bourne-style shoot-em-up from George Clooney will be sorely disappointed.

He may play an assassin on the run but this Euro flick is more artsy than action, with lots of foreign dialogue and a mostly Italian cast.

It’s pitched as a thriller but there are too few tense moments to qualify it as such. It’s basically a vehicle for Clooney to prove his ‘serious’ acting chops in something other than a big budget blockbuster.

He stars as Jack, a professional assassin on the run from a crew of Swedish hit men. He flees to Rome to meet his boss, who tells him to hide out in a small, olde worlde town in Abruzzo.

Despite his suspicious nature and orders to keep to himself, he befriends wise priest Father Benedetto (Paolo Bonacelli) and falls for beautiful prostitute Clara (Violante Placido).

A lot of time is dedicated to Jack’s existential debates with the priest about sin and redemption.

Sadly, it’s fairly dull and dour stuff — although the cinematography is good, particularly the glorious Italian scenery.  Clooney is as excellent as ever, an intelligent actor trying to give his fans something different.

Watch if you liked: Michael Clayton.