The American (2010)

Awards
- 4 nominations

Trivia
With the influx of cast and crew, the existing population of Castel del Monte - 129 people - was more than doubled. When a crew member needed emergency dental work, he had to go to a nearby town as the answering machine of Castel del Monte's dentist declared that he was "unavailable, due to his appearance in a Hollywood film."

Goofs
Jack/Edward cites the muzzle velocity of the rifle as 360 miles per hour (mph). No expert cites muzzle velocity in mph. It's always in feet per second (fps) or meters per second (mps). Beyond that, 360 mph is only 528 fps. That's hardly a reasonable muzzle velocity for that rifle, and it would likely be very inaccurate.

Quotes
Father Benedetto: [speaking to Jack] You cannot deny the existence of hell. You live in it. It is a place without love.

Crazy credits
The credits at the end are in order of appearance. However, the 3 hookers are listed in the order: Hooker #2, Hooker #3 and Hooker #1, which logically doesn't make sense.

Connections
Featured in Maltin on Movies: The American (2010)

Soundtracks
La Bambola
Written by Ruggero Cini, Franco Migliacci (as Francesco Migliacci) and Bruno Zambrini
Performed by Patty Pravo
Courtesy of Sony Music Entertainment (Italy) s.p.a.
by arrangement with Sony Music Licensing

More character study than thriller

This is not the massive action thrill ride you might expect. Instead, it is a slow, character-driven look at an aging assassin. Clooney is good, but it is questionable to have him play a stone-faced killer when the actor is at his best when he utilizes his compelling charm. The best part of the movie is the beautiful cinematography, which highlights the stunning Italian countryside. It adds to the whole Euro indie fell that the film has. The American is pretty slow at times, but the shift in tone is somewhat refreshing.