THE AMERICAN'S SUBLIME ANCESTRY

One of the many reasons to go rushing out to see The American this weekend is its probable short theatrical shelf life. As soon as audiences get wind that the movie is not a high-octane Bourne-in-the-north of-Italy type picture but instead one that values the connection to placid moments of existential contemplation in between assassination attempts that are the hallmark of filmmakers like Michelangelo Antonioni, the movie is likely via col vento. The initial notices, while mixed, have suggested that in the George Clooney thriller directed by photographer and music video director Anton Corbijn is worth a look, however, because of or, depending on whom you're reading, in spite of its languid retro vibe.

Another kind of ancestry in the movie's favor is that of its actors. For those inclined to appreciate the fine cut of his jib, Clooney's continuing conversation with the ghosts of movie stars past such as Cary Grant and Clark Gable is a major reason to see him in just about anything. (Well, maybe not Leatherheads.) For those more appreciative of the feminine form, another more directly biological connection to the past is in play in The American. As it happens, model and actress Violante Placido, who occupies the role of Clooney's love interest (the sex scenes are reportedly hot!) and whose survival is not a given, shares genes with another familiar Italian beauty. In noting her exquisitely oxymoronic name, David Edelstein also wrote of her: “I wondered why Placido, with her soft, open face and voluptuous body, was so familiar. It turns out she’s the daughter of Simonetta Stefanelli, unforgettable as Michael Corleone’s Sicilian bride in The Godfather.”






Sold, one overpriced ticket to see Anton Corbijn’s The American this weekend. Happy Labor Day!

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