trailer break: ‘The American’

Finally, the insightful genius of Henry James is successfully scribed forth onto celluloid. I look forward to Thekla Reuten's portrayal of Claire De Cintre, and perhaps a hilariously droll uncredited performance by Paul Dano as the conservative Babcock.

What? Oh. Nevermind...guess that English major really was all for nothing...

ain't that true

I'm not a 100 per cent sold on this cos Hitman with a soul stories are a bit old. My heart is sinking at that thought of it.

Looks pretty cliched but I suppose it might be able to rise above it. Not writing it off on the basis of the trailer, anyway...

A bit ambivalent on this. On the one hand, it looks like any other "unsavory-character-is-misunderstood-and-possibly-seeks-redemption" story ever told; but on the other hand, the trailer is intriguing enough to perhaps offer more.

On a third hand, I don't buy George Clooney as a hitman for a second - he's too much a Movie Star to be a real character actor. But then again, I still think he's a pretty good actor, so he has the potential to do a good job.

In the end, it could be good, so I might just go see it.

As a counter-point to Anthony's comment on Clooney being a "movie-star", I'd like to bring up Syriana. But actually... I think that may just be the exception that proves the rule.

The real problem is that all of the actors that immediately pop into my head for a role like this happen to be British.

Regardless, I'm definitely interested. It has potential.

I thought George did Syriana just so he could do the whole walking away from an exploding bomb without blinking thing.

I have just read this described as Eat Pray Love for women. Now I'm definitely not going to see it!