"The American," a most(ly) metaphorical film, likes butterflies; it likes to look at them long, and obsess. It likes to pretend they are an extension of ourselves;--but why? We are nothing like those tattooed creatures. We're not content with fluttering around; and anyway, we do very little fluttering around. It seems this film wants to make a statement that does not exist. "We are; we are! We are gentle, we are as fragile as any butterfly," it says. What's troubling is that this is pure delusion; and though it is obviously not denotative to the concept, it is highbrow wannabe gibberish; and its poetry is weak: it wants to (figuratively so) connect butterflies to humanity the same way cats are to milk; however, it ends up connecting the cat to a euthanized needle.
Of course, that said, it's ambitious; the opening shots and scenarios are interesting;--and so is the ending if you walk into the film without seeing a single shot of what came before it. But back to the opening shots: we get shots of trees (snow covered ones) and scenery; we then get a shot of a man and his naked lover. The man, who we later find out to be named Jack (George Clooney), and his lover take a walk on the lake where a sniper attacks them, but Jack kills him and his lover. Why he kills his lover may or may not have been explained as the remainder of this film literally lulled me to sleep! But I would doubt it, personally, as this film explains NOTHING! which would be fine if it had any kind of rational reasoning for its ambiguity--(hints of interest; a grand metaphor)--; but it fails in all respects and it's boring to tears.
3 our of 5 popcorns.
And as the film made me cry trickles of suffrage, it enters into one of two modes: a chase movie and a trite romance. Jack is deep into a crime syndicate, and must follow orders or risk death; and at the same time, he romances one a common movie stereotype: the hooker with a heart of gold. That the film takes no narrative risks with these 'treasured' themes must be considered a plus, a plus to the filmmakers I mean. Oh, but the acting is quite good, however, for piles of stones.
The players acting abilities are more lifelike, though, then this film's constant attempt to poesy butterflies. It is a 'philosophical' lecture that I have no interest in hearing; ...but I have plenty of interest in showcasing; so, let's get started. You see, a butterfly can fly, hence the name, and this means that we should be not afraid to exercise out talents. Also, if a the winged insect were to have eyes on its wings, then this means we are looking far too deeply into people, and should stop judgement at once, and look into 'ourselves';--and we may find hints of life and death. This reminds me of the ultimate--dare I say?--innovative depiction of life and death in literature: Dr. Seuss' Thing One and Thing Two.
