The American in 165 Words or Less

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I was willing to overlook a bunch of flaws until that last shot, which unraveled the whole business like a shoddily constructed sweater, and just pissed me off. CG butterfly souls? Really?

As Grindhouse was to cheapo 70s exploitation films I guess this was Corbijn's answer to riffing on Antonioni. Sans wink, a la House of the Devil, only existentialier. Like transposing The Passenger to modern-day changing nothing, including cliches too worn out to present with a straight face. Whores in red-lit rooms! Wise priests dispensing wisdom in long pauses! And that ill-fated tramp-stamp of Clooney's, stinking up the joint.

All this sounds exceedingly negative, which spoils the genuine truth that I was okay with the lot of it until that ending. As with anyone who saw Control knows, Corbijn can shoot the fuck outta a frame. Gorgeous to look at. But god I hated that last shot so much! It ruined the whole thing. Kaput! Unforgivable.

Still, bless George Clooney for taking risks. That he can make a movie this spare and pretentious into a #1 hit is a great thing.
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