We practice democracy within Movie Review Squad, most of the time. Last weekend, I wanted to watch a European foreign film. Cynthia said OK. TK said OK. I then spotted a George Clooney film and I thought, time for a second round of vote? Cynthia said American. TK said American. Two against one, so “The American” it was.
That evening, both TK and Cynthia were exceptionally hungry. Over dinner, while I was logging the expenses (I am the movie scouter, the accountant, the review writer as well as the ticket booker within Movie Review Squad – hence a.k.a. “The Secretory”), they were busy attacking the dishes. By the time I looked up, half of the food on the table was gone! After our meal, TK showed us one of the free apps he downloaded for his Apple phone. It is pretty hilarious. You talk to the animated cat inside the phone and it repeats what you say with a very cute voice and a little delay. And when Cynthia laughed hearing that, the cat paused and laughed too. That triggered another round of laughter and so on. People around us must have thought that she was crazy laughing at / with / on the phone.
“The American” is a slow pace movie, very slow. So slow that I thought I would have my vindication against Cynthia and TK for choosing the film after all these months and years of laughing at me for making a bad decision in picking that Spanish movie (which I still think it was a good pick) or that Thai movie. My vindication was very short lived. In no time, they joined forces singing praises for “The American” and gave me that look of I-thought-this-is-the-sort-of-slow-movie-you-love-a-lot?
OK, to rewind, those who enjoy watching classic thriller would love “The American”. And that is one aspect I enjoy, a thriller that is different from what we have in the market today. Not many make films like “The American” these days. A simple plot, emotionally gripped, and a constant sense of danger. George Clooney has done a good job in playing the rather serious role. I am not going to spoil you from enjoying the film as I walked into the theater with absolutely no clue on what the story is about. Much time, you would wonder where the story is going. It is especially slow in the first half of the movie. But it does get better when the pieces of puzzle – not many by the way – are put together. There is a lot of space within the plot, that is my own reservation of classifying “The American” as a classic. I love the part of having two sinners falling in love. But I was hoping that there is a deeper resolution, a redemption perhaps. “The American” is a beautifully made movie. You would feel for the characters. If the plot was not as shallow, I would have loved it more. After all, “The American” does have the sure win ingredients of money, sex, and blood. Shot entirely in Europe with European actors and actresses, it does feel like watching a European film. So, looking back, I did watch a European movie, in a strange sense.