The American

THE AMERICAN (2010) - Sept. 5, 2010
A well made if somewhat slow-paced film about a skilled hitman who hides out in a small Italian town making a custom sniper rifle.  The film kind of has a cool, emotionally distant tone that always keeps you at an arm's length, but it's well directed by Anton Corbijn and does a good job of evoking a European art-house vibe.  It also features a really strong central performance from George Clooney, who manages to create a compelling character (who is a bit different from his usual thing) without all that much dialogue.  ***