The American

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Plot:  An underworld killer and gunsmith is being hunted by Swedish assassins, so Jack (George Clooney) shoots his girlfriend to cover his tracks and treks to a mountain town in Northern Italy to hide. His boss sends him a client, Ingrid (Irina Bjoeklund) for whom he makes a specialty rifle. He meets Clara (Violante Placido) in Italy and flirts with her.

Review: This is a patient drama about how a cartoonish killer might respond if suddenly dropped into a art school film. Clooney plays a his assassin/gunsmith as a deeply repressed and flinty tough guy. The camera spends the first half of the film staring deeply into his wrinkled face looking for emotion.  We don't find much emotion or motivation.

Why does this guy kill so many people? It does not seem to be to fund his cool lifestyle. It is not for his friends, his family, his country. He's not being blackmailed.

The film has a long sex scene that is supposed to show Jacks and Clara's developing affection, but it seems gratuitous. The skinny dipping scene is better in that Clara's playing in the idyllic lake is contrasted with murderous intentions (we imagine) the characters are thinking.

There are some highlights. The scenery is pretty, especially the city scenes. I want to go visit Italy. Father Benedetto (Paolo Bonacelli,) the local priest is a bright spot. Those scenes were interesting; even  if Paulo Bonacelli's hairy and flabby face was pretty gross.

!!MAJOR SPOILER!! What is the point of this movie?  Are we watching a cartoonish killer turn from girlfriend slayer to co-worker and boss killer? Is that moral progress? Are we supposed to be impressed that he gets teary when he is wounded? Is he crying for himself?

Cast: George Clooney, Violante Placido

Directed by: Anton Corbijn; based on the novel by Martin Booth

Rating: 1.5 flasks; dull enough for one star; overwrought; basically pointless.


More: George Clooney fans will probably be severely disappointed.

Even more: Other critics has called this movie slow and silent. I did not have a problem with the pacing or the minimum of dialog.
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Up in the Air

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Plot: This is a tragic satire about Ryan who lives his life avoiding commitment, avoiding empathy, and avoiding personal relationships. Ryan Bingham (George Clooney) spends 325 days a year flying around the country and the world, and is only comfortable when he is away from home. He gives inspirational talks about being unattached to possessions and people. His job is firing people. In the movie, he teaches young Natalie Keener (Anna Kendrick) his job, and he meets Alex Goran (Vera Farmiga) who is seemingly as unattached and afraid of commitment as he is. 

Review: This movie is a high concept satire of modern living. It shows people superficially connected, but actually very alone. Because it is so high concept, the characters in the movie don't really make sense as people. There is no 35-40 year old woman with Alex Goran's life situation at all -- period. The Alex of the beginning of the movie giving the sad advice to Natalie is not the same Alex as we meet at the end of the movie.

Ryan goes to his niece's wedding, and seems to have a meaningful experience, but then what?

The film gets points for ambition. The greatest image is Ryan (Clooney) alone in the hotel window at high. The film is really saying that people need the people they carry in their"back packs," to make life meaningful even though Ryan doesn't get it. I called Ryan soul-less; my wife asked me what I meant by that. This movie is an exploration of soul-lessness.

Cast: George Clooney, Vera Farmiga, Anna Kendrick

Crew: directed and co-written by Jason Reitman based on the novel by Walter Kim

Rating: 2.5 flasks


More: I have often said that no one makes a movie or book about what it is really like in the business world, and this is not it, but it does come close to addressing some of the issues of traveling a lot. Kim's novel is a lot more like the real business world. I might read it. 

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The Men Who Stare at Goats

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Plot: The Men Who Stare at Goats is about soldiers who were trained in extra-sensory perception ESP as a battle or intelligence weapon. Vietnam War-era soldiers were trained in "paranormal" combat, and had some success. Now in the 2000's, they are called back together for the war in Iraq.  Journalist Bob Wilton (Ewan McGregor) stumbles on the story, and he narrates the film. The movie is an absurd comedy where it is not clear how real the ESP is, or whether the soldiers are insane or geniuses. 

Review: This was an entertaining movie with a comedic, farcical premise. Lyn Cassady (George Clooney) is the main character with the strongest gift. Bob Django (Jeff Bridges) is the hippie founder of the New Earth Battalion, and they adopt old-time hippie practices to tune their abilities.

There are a lot of jokes and absurdities in the film, and I don't think it is trying to make any serious points about the military or the paranormal.

I liked the movie on the level of entertainment, and I think most people would enjoy it.

A decent performance by George Clooney. A nice likeable nuanced performance by Ewan McGregor. I thought Jeff Bridges was annoying, and I thought Kevin Spacy should have been in the movie more.

Cast: George Clooney, Ewan McGregor, Jeff Bridges, Kevin Spacy

Crew: directed by Grant Heslov; written by Peter Staughan; based on the book by Jon Ronson

Rating: 2.5 flasks


More: Were there any women in this movie?

Even More:  I liked the way the goat fell over when it died. Clunk.