The American

Drew's Thoughts:

The American is a spy movie made the way spy movies should be made. George Clooney is an assassin who spends most of his time alone, in silence, as a spy would. Unlike James Bond or the Bourne movies where the main is character is always on the move, jumping from explosion to explosion, director Anton Corbijn is very selective with his instances of violence making them highly effective.

Drawing inspiration from foreign filmmakers such as Jean-Pierre Melville, a lot of American audiences were confused when the film came out wondering why they didn't get a Bourne style movie. The film certainly has its flaws (mostly due to Rowan Joffe's screenplay) but Corbijn delivers enough memorable scenes, such as the film opener, and a well co-ordinated overall aesthetic to make it a winner in my opinion.