Viewed in
2011
Formats
DVD
Premise
George Clooney stars as a hitman in hiding in a small Italian village.
Loved
George Clooney's performance.
Liked
The character study.
Thoughts
If I had to use one word to describe this excellent piece of work, it would be "subtle".
Everything about it was subtle, none more exemplified than Clooney's performance. He was mesmerizing, as he was able to express his characters emotions, introversion, and paranoia with minimal dialog. In fact, the directing and acting were good at putting this internal stuff onscreen that the story would have been just as clear had I watched on mute. All of those quiet moments truly built up for a wonderful, emotional payoff in the climax.
The only non-subtle aspect was the cinematography. Throughout the film, my eyes were treated to beautiful shots of unique Italian villas and vast natural landscapes. Just gorgeous eye candy.
As a pure character study, it clearly cared more about the people in the story than the story itself; I assume if I thought twice about the plot, there might be some unanswered loose ends. Also, I am certain that its pace and silence would likely bore the typical moviegoer.
This was truly an elegant, underrated film. While he was not nominated, Clooney's performance should not be overlooked.
What I would change
Nothing.
