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"THE AMERICAN" (2010) (George Clooney, Thekla Reuten) (R) Alcohol/ Drugs Blood/Gore Disrespectful/ Bad Attitude Frightening/ Tense Scenes Guns/ Weapons Heavy Extreme Extreme Heavy Extreme Imitative Behavior Jump Scenes Music (Scary/Tense) Music (Inappropriate) Profanity Heavy Moderate Moderate None Heavy Sex/ Nudity Smoking Tense Family Scenes Topics To Talk About Violence Extreme Minor Minor Moderate Extreme QUICK TAKE: Suspense/Thriller: An aging assassin is compelled to accept one final job before retiring. PLOT: Jack (GEORGE CLOONEY) has spent too many years as a contract assassin, either killing people himself or making guns for other assassins to shoot people. He wants out of the life and craves seclusion. When someone orders a hit on him, Jack takes the opportunity to meet with his enigmatic boss, Pavel (JOHAN LEYSEN), in Rome. There, Pavel arranges for Jack to hide out in a small, secluded Italian town. When Jack gets to the town, though, he doesn't like the looks of it. So, he decides to pick his own hiding spot in nearby Castel del Monte. There, he meets two people. The first is Father Benedetto (PAOLO BONACELLI), an inquisitive priest who wants only to discuss sin and redemption. The second is a good-hearted prostitute named Clara (VIOLANTE PLACIDO) who wants to start a new life with him. Pavel, though, has one more job for him. Jack is to construct a special rifle for a female assassin named Mathilde (THEKLA REUTEN). Jack tells him that this will be his final job, as he has become paranoid of everyone around him. His suspicions eventually prove true when two of the characters turn against him, leading to a climactic game of cat and mouse. WILL KIDS WANT TO SEE IT? Older teens may be attracted by the film's sex and violence elements. WHY THE MPAA RATED IT: R For violence, sexual content, and nudity. CAST AS ROLE MODELS: GEORGE CLOONEY plays a contract assassin who wants to retire and live a secluded life. He is a violent man who kills frequently for money or survival, including a woman who he has been sleeping with who may or may not have set him up. He is a frequent drinker, occasional smoker, and is not above hiring a prostitute for sex and companionship. THEKLA REUTEN plays a younger assassin who hires Jack to build a special rifle for her to use on her next assignment. She appears to have no problem killing for money. JOHAN LEYSEN plays Jack's enigmatic boss, who assigns the various contract killings and advises Jack to have no meaningful personal connections. He is shown on at least one occasion to be a drinker, but not to excess. VIOLANTE PLACIDO plays a prostitute who may or may not be out to set Jack up. She has sex for money with multiple customers. If she is to be believed, she is slowly falling in love with Jack and wants to run away with him and start a new life. She carries a hidden gun in her person either for protection or because she is more than she appears to be. She is also an occasional smoker. PAOLO BONACELLI plays an inquisitive priest who befriends Jack. We don't know if he is just behaving like a typical holy man when talking endlessly about sin and redemption or has a hidden agenda. He is a casual drinker, enjoying brandy and wine in particular. IRINA BJORKLUND plays one of Jack's lovers who meets a tragic fate when she and he are targeted by assassins. CAST, CREW, & TECHNICAL INFO HOW OTHERS RATED THIS MOVIE Curious if this title is entertaining, any good, and/or has any artistic merit? Then read OUR TAKE of this film. (Note: The "Our Take" review of this title examines the film's artistic merits and does not take into account any of the possibly objectionable material listed below). OUR WORD TO PARENTS: The following is a brief summary of the content found in this suspense thriller that has been rated R. Profanity consists of at least 2 "f" words. A bit of sexually related dialogue is present along with much nudity (mostly female) and at least one fairly explicit sex scene. Violence consists of people being shot, with some fairly bloody results. A chase involving the main character on a motorcycle and an assassin in a car ends with one character killing the other with his bare hands. There are numerous "cat-and-mouse" sequences in which the main character is either stalked by an assailant or thinks he is being stalked. Such scenes and moments of potential peril will likely be unsettling and/or suspenseful for various viewers. Bad attitudes are present, as is some potentially imitative behavior and various thematic elements. Drinking is present, as is one scene of smoking. If you're still concerned about the film and its appropriateness for yourself or anyone else in your home who may be interested in seeing it, we suggest that you take a closer look at our detailed listings for more specific information regarding the film's content. ALCOHOL OR DRUG USE Jack sits quietly at the foot of a bed drinking from a glass of liquor. Jack shares a bottle of brandy with Father Benedetto. Father Benedetto invites Jack to dinner where he serves him wine with his stew. Jack opens a bottle of wine and pours some of it on the ground. Jack enters a bar where there are multiple bottles of liquor and other spirits visible. Pavel is shown drinking whiskey or some spirit from a glass while talking with Jack over the phone. In a restaurant, Clara twice orders a waiter to bring her and Jack a bottle of wine, which they share over dinner. Other customers are seen in the background drinking wine and possibly other spirits. BLOOD/GORE Blood is seen on a sniper's jacket and snow after Jack has just shot and killed him. A very brief blood spurt is visible when Jack shoots Ingrid in the back of the head. Jack has a nightmare in which he sees Ingrid lying dead in the show, bleeding from the gunshot wound he inflicted on her. Jack reads a newspaper article about the people he killed in Sweden. The article contains photos of the clearly bloody dead bodies in the snow. An assassin is briefly shown bloodied after Jack kills him. Mathilde walks up a flight of stairs, and we clearly see the corpse of a man she just shot lying on a floor bleeding from a head wound. Mathilde's face is horrifically bloody after being shot and falling off the roof of a building. The bullet looks to have hit her in her right eye. A man bleeds from a gunshot wound to the belly as he drives to make a rendezvous. He touches the wound and gets blood on his hand, which is visible when he puts that hand back on the steering wheel. DISRESPECTFUL/BAD ATTITUDE Jack, Pavel, and Mathilde are trained assassins who accept money for assignments to kill people. Father Benedetto subtly puts down Americans as being ashamed of their history. Jack tells Father Benedetto that he doubts God has any interest in him. Jack tells Clara that he has come to her to "get pleasure not to give it." Clara looks down on an elderly waiter, scoffing to Jack that he is "small-town people." While Clara is showering, Jack goes through her drawers and purse looking to see if she is hiding a secret from him. Jack and an assassin drive at high rates of speed through a small Italian town exchanging gunfire with little regard to the danger this poses to the local population. Jack tells Father Benedetto that any evil he has done in this world was for a good reason. Jack pleads with Pavel to be left alone after he completes his one final job, but Pavel orders him killed anyway. FRIGHTENING SCENES Scenes listed under "Violence," "Blood/Gore" and "Jump Scenes" may be unsettling, suspenseful or scary to younger viewers and/or those with low tolerance levels for such material. Jack is tailed by an assassin through the tight, cobblestone streets of a small Italian town at night. Late one night, Jack and an assassin drive at high rates of speed through a small Italian town exchanging gunfire. Clara reaches into her purse causing Jack to have a reflex to go for his gun, raising the possibility that he might kill her in an instant as he did Ingrid earlier in the film. Jack sells Mathilde a weapon in a café. She then excuses herself to go to the bathroom, and suddenly Jack looks around to find there is no one else in the eatery. He sits there for a very unnerving minute before pressing the issue and heading Mathilde off as she is about to return. A soccer team then shows up, and Mathilde can no longer kill him with all the added attention around. Jack and Clara embrace in a crowd as a parade passes by, unaware that a sniper sits at a distance with her gun trained on the back of Jack's head. She is just about to fire when she is shot herself. GUNS/WEAPONS Jack and Ingrid are stalked by two assassins, both wielding guns. One fires a hunting-type rifle, while the other has a handgun fitted with a silencer. Jack returns fire with his gun. Jack is startled awake, reaching for his gun, and jerking up into a shooting position when a book falls off his bed. Jack and Mathilde have a long discussion about a gun she wants him to build for her. Jack uses a knife to open a parcel. There are several scenes during the film's mid-section showing Jack building Mathilde's rifle. A paranoid Jack sleeps with his gun at his side. Several times during the course of the film, an on-edge Jack reaches for his gun or at least strokes it in his jacket pocket when he thinks that danger may be nearby. Most of the time, it's a false alarm. Jack test-fires the rifle he has built for Mathilde, firing multiple shots at a metal target. Jack presents the rifle to Mathilde, who test-fires it at the same location. She then hands the rifle to Jack and convinces him to fire directly near her from a great distance to see if she can judge where the shot is coming from. She then asks him to make a few more modifications to the gun before she will buy it from him. Jack finds a gun in Mathilde's purse. An assassin pulls a gun and shoots at Jack, only to hit a random motorcyclist. Jack pulls out his own gun and returns fire. During an ensuing chase with the assassin driving a car and Jack a motorcycle, Jack continues to fire his gun. Jack takes a gun with him to his final meeting with Mathilde at an out-of-the-way cafe. There, he exchanges the rifle he built for her along with multiple, specially made bullets (some mercury-tipped) for cash. She excuses herself, goes to the bathroom, and loads her gun to go kill Jack. But she misses the opportunity when a team of young soccer players arrives. Mathilde uses the rifle Jack built her to scope him and Clara out from a distance. Pavel and Jack wield handguns during a climactic cat-and-mouse sequence. IMITATIVE BEHAVIOR Phrases: "F*ck!" "How the f*ck did they know I was here?" "Bastards" and "I come here to get pleasure, not to give it." The action, stunts and other such behavior might be enticing for some kids to try to imitate. Jack has a tattoo on his right arm and one of a butterfly on his back. Jack hits a vending machine that does not dispense what he wants after he puts change in it. Jack purposefully causes damage to his own car in order to take it to a mechanic he has seen in one of Father Benedetto's photos. Jack hires a prostitute for sex and companionship. Clara looks down on an elderly waiter, scoffing to Jack that he is "small-town people." While Clara is showering, Jack goes through her drawers and purse looking to see if she is hiding a secret from him. Late one night, Jack and an assassin drive at high rates of speed through a small Italian town exchanging gunfire. Jack takes Clara to his favorite secluded spot by a pond. Clara takes one look at the water, pulls her dress over her head, and goes skinny dipping topless. Clara sneaks up and surprises Jack from behind during a crowded parade scene. A man drives fast and in an erratic manner after being shot. JUMP SCENES Jack walks down an eerily quiet street in a small Italian town when suddenly a motorcycle backfires. Jack is startled awake and into a shooting position when a book falls off his bed, causing a loud sound. Jack has a startling nightmare in which he sees Ingrid lying dead in the snow. One scene cuts to another, punctuated by Jack slamming a car door that causes a brief jolt for attentive viewers. Clara surprises Jack (and us) from behind during a crowded parade scene in which we're aware a sniper is nearby, but they don't. Mathilde is about to fire her rifle from a sniper's position when she is suddenly shot herself from an unseen assailant. MUSIC (SCARY/TENSE) A moderate amount of tense music occurs in the film, but it's the quiet passages that cause more alarm. Most of the scenes where Jack is stalking someone with his gun or he is being stalked occur with no music at all. MUSIC (INAPPROPRIATE) None. PROFANITY At least 2 "f" words. SEX/NUDITY In an opening scene, Ingrid lies on her stomach completely naked with her bare buttocks exposed. It is implied that she and Jack have just had sex. There are two scenes in the film of a shirtless Jack exercising in his Italian apartment. Clara strips completely nude in front of Jack. We first see her from behind in a mirror. She then turns to reveal full frontal nudity as she approaches Jack, who is sitting on a bed. Jack sees Clara on the street, and she is wearing a low-cut dress that reveals her cleavage. Mathilde wears a sexy, skin-tight sweater dress that shows off her figure. Jack visits the brothel where Clara works, but she is not there. Two prostitutes -- one who is topless, but wearing pasties; and the other wearing a nightgown that reveals cleavage -- briefly flirt with him. Jack's bare buttocks are briefly visible when he stands up to put his pants on. Jack tells Clara that he has come to her to "get pleasure not to give it." Jack and Clara are shown having sex with him on top. He is shirtless and her breasts are visible. He then kisses his way down her stomach until he is no longer in frame. The camera then focuses on Clara's face as she moans with pleasure, as off-screen oral sex is implied. Jack then flips her over onto all fours and has sex with her from behind. The camera stays on Clara's face and bare breasts as she implores Jack to go slower as he pulls her hair. Both characters reach their climax. The scene ends with the two sharing a long kiss. A day or so later, Clara spots Jack in a local café. She wears a low-cut top that reveals cleavage, and she introduces him to her friend, Anna, with it implied that she is also a prostitute. Clara gives Jack a long kiss at the end of the scene. Jack and Father Benedetto stroll past a couple sitting on a park bench and kissing passionately. Benedetto wonders how many babies have been conceived there over the years. Clara tales off a wrap at a restaurant to reveal she is wearing a sexy dress with cleavage. Clara massages a shirtless Jack. The two wake up the next morning in bed together, with off-screen sex implied. Jack takes Clara to his favorite secluded spot by a pond. Clara takes one look at the water, pulls her dress over her head, and goes skinny dipping topless. We get several long looks at her bare breasts. In long shots, her panties are see through so we are able to view her pubic hair. She eventually emerges from the water and shares a long kiss with Jack. While still in just her panties, she lies down across a picnic blanker and remains on her stomach throughout much of the scene. Her bare breasts remain visible throughout. SMOKING Clara and Jack share a cigarette after sex. TENSE FAMILY SCENES It is revealed that Father Benedetto fathered a child either before he went into priesthood or soon after, and that he still stays in contact with the young man. TOPICS TO TALK ABOUT Hired assassins who kill people for a living. Prostitution. VIOLENCE Jack and Ingrid are shot at while walking in a snowy open field. The two take cover, allowing Jack to collect himself and spot the sniper in the woods. He then shoots the man twice in the chest, killing him. He tells Ingrid to go get help and he shoots her in the back in the head as she is running away. Back at their cabin, Jack comes up from behind the second assassin and shoots him three times, killing him. Jack hits a vending machine that does not dispense what he wants after he puts change in it. On a bar's TV, we see a brief clip of one of Sergio Leone's old spaghetti Westerns in which an outlaw guns down another character. Jack receives an envelope with a newspaper article inside that details the three people he killed in the film's opening sequence. An assassin tracks Jack through the tight streets of a small Italian town. Jack senses this, hides in the shadows to let the man pass, takes off his shoes, and sneaks up behind the hired killer. He is about to shoot the man when a random motorcyclist drives up from behind. The assassin turns and fires his gun, hitting the motorcyclist. The assassin realizes he has missed his target and runs away. He attempts to flee via automobile as Jack commandeers the slain man's motorcycle and gives chase. Jack fires multiple times at the assassin's car, eventually shooting out one of his tires causing him to crash. Jack makes his way around to the driver's side window, smashes it, punches the assassin before he can get a handle on his own gun, and then breaks his neck with his bare hands, killing the man. Clara steps on a bullet in a pond, briefly hurting her foot. No blood, though. Mathilde walks away from a man lying dead on a floor bleeding from the head, and the implication is that she shot him. A newspaper article details a string of recent prostitute murders in Italy. SPOILER ALERT: Mathilde stations herself in a makeshift sniper's nest and has Jack and Clara in her gun sights. She is about to pull the trigger when she is shot by an unseen assailant. Mathilde then falls several stories from the roof of the building where she had been perched and dies soon after. SPOILER ALERT: Pavel stalks Jack through the alleys and corridors of a small Italian town. Pavel comes up from behind Jack, but Jack senses this, and swings around fast. Both men open fire, and one is killed. Reviewed August 30, 2010 / Posted September 1, 2010

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