Director: Daniel Alexander

Writer(s): Daniel Alexander

Bernie Baran had one strike against him when he took a job at a daycare center­—he was gay. By today’s standards (not that today’s standards are great), Baran’s sexuality would not have been a big deal, but in the homophobic environment festering in the 1980s, Bernie became the target of a bizarre hatred toward gays gripping not only the small town of Pittsfield, Massachusetts, where he lived, but of a nation blinded by the fear of homosexuals and the recent spread of AIDS.

Baran would eventually be tried and convicted of a crime that never took place, a fact that would play a pivotal role in future legal battles. With Bernie’s case so unbelievably fraudulent, it is hard to imagine that any human being possessing cognitive thought could not see through the lies that would take twenty-one years of a man’s life. What is most shocking is that literally no one in this community (with the exception of his family) offered to help Bernie Baran out a predicament that was so unjust; still, to his detriment, Baran continued to have faith in a justice system that had completely ignored the truth.

Director Daniel Alexander takes the PowerPoint presentation approach with Freeing Bernie Baran, and while it could be argued that this is a low-budget technique (it does look a little low-budget), it is nonetheless a rather effective tool in showing the extreme absurdity of the events that transpired. Through this point-by-point analysis, the audience is able to follow the freakish contradictions and inaccuracies that make Bernie’s ordeal so mind-boggling. In addition, this method not only makes the film easy to follow, but was also a nice way to break up various segments of the documentary.

The majority of the documentary is divided between Bernie’s family and his legal battle. The former shows Baran to be a loving kid with no hang-ups or eccentricities to speak of. This helps to reinforce the fact that Baran was not some twisted, evil “gay” bent on molesting children. The latter deals with the astounding circumstances surrounding Baran’s case. The most prevalent issue that comes to mind is that there seemed to be more concern over the possible negative impact the truth might have on prominent officials involved in the trial. It is shocking that, considering their erroneous behavior, these individuals would be shown any leniency whatsoever, and in the end, not be held responsible for what is nothing less than criminal activity.

Freeing Bernie Baran is an engrossing documentary that will leave you pondering the legitimacy of the American justice system. Where once racial profiling in the prison system seemed to be the iniquité du jour for media outlets to report, this is the first time I have seen anything so blatant dealing with an individual being convicted based solely on their sexual orientation; if ever there was a case of someone being railroaded, this is that case. For all those that have believed the justice system in our nation exists without fault, this documentary should change your views. if you are in the camp that has little faith in the system, Freeing Bernie Baran will help only to further your distrust.

Freeing Bernie Baran will be premiering at aGLIFF on Saturday, September 11, 2010 (1:30pm) at the Alamo South Lamar in Austin, Texas. For more information visit aGLIFF at http://www.agliff.org/ or at the Freeing Bernie Baran Facebook page at http://www.facebook.com/pages/Freeing-Bernie-Baran/324974408062.

Rating: 7/10

Director: Javier Fuentes-León

Writer: Javier Fuentes-León

Starring: Tatiana Astengo, Manolo Cardona, Cristian Mercado

Miguel (Cristian Mercado) is a fisherman whose life with his very pregnant wife, Mariela (Tatiana Astengo), seems pretty darn perfect, but there are emotional undertows tugging Miguel down into trouble. The name of that trouble is Santiago (Manolo Cardona), a traveling artist and outsider to this tranquil Peruvian seaside village.

Santiago is comfortable with his sexuality and would prefer to be ostracized by society rather than hide from it. Miguel is quite closeted and is tied by local traditions (as we first witness during the burial ceremony for his cousin) and morals. Nonetheless, Miguel and Santiago share a series of clandestine rendezvous, getting busy on breathtaking beaches in between lovers’ quarrels over Miguel’s insistence that their relationship remain a deep dark secret.

Santiago dies unexpectedly and his spirit is trapped on Earth until his body can be discovered and offered up to God. In other words, Santiago becomes a ghost. Only Miguel can see and communicate with Santiago and this new situation suits Miguel perfectly. Their relationship is now so much easier to conceal, but unfortunately, Santiago is miserable in limbo. Rumors of their relationship crash to the surface and Miguel is forced to choose between saving his marriage (and respect within the community) and giving his lover a proper send off.

Part love story and part ghost story, this tale of magic realism earned director Javier Fuentes-Leon the audience award in the World Cinema dramatic competition at Sundance. A delicate examination of attitudes and social mores, Undertow touches on issues of self-hate and betrayal and is a stark reminder of the liberation that being true to your sexuality brings. Undertow brilliantly explores issues of sexual identity and machismo attitudes in a conservative community built on tradition, religion and superstition.

Rating: 7/10

Director: Julia Solomonoff

Writer: Julia Solomonoff

Starring: Guadalupe Alonso, Gabo Correa, María Clara Merendino, Mirella Pascual, Guillermo Pfening

People seem to be undergoing drastic changes around Jorgelina (Guadalupe Alonso). Jorgelina’s older sister, Luciana (María Clara Merendino), has begun collecting her monthly bill and officially enters the world of push-up bras and feminine hygiene products (a.k.a. adolescence). With hormones a blazing, Luciana only cares about boys now; suddenly, Jorgelina has gone from playmate and friend to a mere annoyance to her sister.

Rather than going on a beach vacation with her mother and hormonal sister, Jorgelina opts to travel to the Argentinean countryside – the Pampas – with her father (Gabo Correa) to spend the summer swimming and horseback riding. Lonely for a playmate, Jorgelina desperately shadows a young and withdrawn ranch hand, Mario (Nicolás Treise). But Mario has little time for childish recreation; not only must Mario assist his aging father (Arnoldo Treise) with the daily chores around the ranch, but he is also in training for his horse racing premiere.

As the summer plows forth, Jorgelina and Mario become increasingly close. One day, Mario begins to bleed from his crotch – something Jorgelina knows (from her father’s medical texts) that males do not normally do. As it turns out, Mario is also experiencing a sexual transformation not unlike Luciana. Jorgelina and Mario are faced with an awkward and extremely personal truth that Mario’s parents would prefer to continue to deny.

The Last Summer of La Boyita is an intimate and emotional tale that delightfully unravels the mysteries of sexuality amongst youth and the proverbial loss of innocence. Writer-director Julia Solomonoff based the screenplay on her own personal experiences, lending to the unadulterated realism. Solomonoff skillfully takes the show don’t tell approach to filmmaking, opting to rely more on visual storytelling than verbal. The two young lead actors – Guadalupe Alonso and Nicolás Treise – are impeccably self-aware; a significant portion of their stories, and the resulting dramatic and emotional tension, is expressed silently via their facial expressions.

A beautiful, honest and poignant statement about inter-sexuality, The Last Summer of La Boyita cleverly uses the summer as a metaphor for the shedding of layers. Summer is the season during which time people shed their clothing to reveal more of their outer selves, but internal truths are divulged as well.

Rating: 8/10

Director: James Kent

Writer: Jane English

Starring: Maxine Peake, Anna Madeley, Gemma Jones, Michael Culkin, Ted Holden, Christine Bottomley, Dean Lennox Kelly, Tina O’Brien, Susan Lynch, Alan David

Anne Lister (Maxine Peake) is an unmarried 19th century Yorkshire woman living at Shibden Hall with her aunt (Gemma Jones) and uncle (Alan David). Lister desires one thing from life: to have someone to love and to share her life with. The person she has in mind for that part is Mariana Belcombe (Anna Madeley), with whom she has developed a clandestine romantic relationship (they have “connected”); that is until 19th century English culture gets the better of Belcombe and she marries a rich aged widower, Charles Lawton (Michael Culkin).

Depressed and permanently clad in black (thus freeing herself from “the tyranny of fashion”), Lister studiously immerses herself in her library. A year passes and Lister begins to consider finding herself someone else to “connect” with – besides her ever loyal lesbian lapdog, Tib (Susan Lynch). Lister ogles an attractive young woman in church, Miss Browne (Tina O’Brien), with whom she promptly becomes friends (Lister utilizes the pick-up line, “Do you like the poetry of Byron?”). Before Lister is able to “connect” with Miss Brown, Belcombe reenters the picture. The two women meet in a hotel in Manchester. Belcombe tells Lister that she has missed her and hopes that upon her husband’s death they will live together as companions. They even buy wedding rings to wear around their necks until they can live together. Returning to Shibden, Miss Browne is tossed to the proverbial gutter.

Christopher Rawson (Dean Lennox Kelly), a local industrialist and neighbor, proposes marriage to Lister. She instantly shoots him down. This prompts Lister to inform her aunt and uncle that she desires to remain unmarried and live her life with a female companion; being that Lister’s aunt and uncle never married, they offer no rebuttal.

Eventually, Belcombe ends her affair with Lister fearing that her husband has found them out – she would rather die than have people know about their relationship. Belcombe proposes that they can still be happy together, but they will have to live apart. That does not jive with Lister’s ideal arrangement of living with a female companion.

Rawson reenters the picture with a proposition to lease a parcel of Lister’s land to dig a coal mine; Lister promptly declines, opting to mine it herself. In order to afford to do so, Lister forms a business alliance with Ann Walker (Christine Bottomley), a wealthy unmarried neighbor. After being intimidated and harassed by Rawson, Walker moves in with Lister at Shibden, inciting shocking rumors about the two women. Walker admits that she does not want a husband and wishes to live at Shibden with Lister happily ever after.

Written by Jane English, the script draws from Lister’s four-million-word diary which has been published in two volumes (in 1988 and 1992). Approximately one-sixth of Lister’s diary is encrypted in a unique code (combining Greek letters and algebra) and graphically describes her lesbian affairs and tactics for seduction. The majority of the diary deals with Lister’s everyday life – not merely her lesbianism – containing her thoughts on social events, national events and her business interests. A pioneering 19^th century proto-feminist, Lister was a wealthy Yorkshire landowner, diarist and traveler; she is often referred to as “the first modern lesbian.” Society may have insinuated things and patronized her, but Lister plowed onward, remaining utterly unvanquished.

Directed by James Kent, The Secret Diaries of Miss Anne Lister does leave out some seemingly important details of Lister’s life, most notably her visit with the Ladies of Llangollen – the other famous lesbians of the 19^th century. (Lister’s academic achievements as well as her love for travel and mountaineering also go unmentioned.) It might have also been more interesting to focus a wee bit less on Lister’s lesbianism and a tad bit more on her intellectual strength and unyielding willpower as a successfully independent 19^th century woman.  Focusing primarily on the naughty bits of her diary – some snogging lesbians here, some naked breasts there – The Secret Diaries of Miss Anne Lister does not do Lister the justice that she deserves. In the end, this film really only makes Lister look like a horny bird.

Rating: 5/10

Director: Kyle Henry

Writer: Carlos Trevino

Staring: Paul Soileau, Cyndi Williams, Gary Chason

Aliya (Paul Soileau), a stunningly styled transvestite prostitute, is hired by Anne (Cyndi Williams) for her dying husband, Tom (Gary Chason). Tom is bedridden and permanently attached to a respirator, he can only communicate via blinking his eyes (one for “no,” two for “yes”) and he only has feeling in his extremities. Lucky for Tom, he can feel his toes! Aliya sure can work wonders with her clients’ toes!

Essentially a two-character one-act play, Soileau’s (whom some might know as Christeene or Rebecca Havemeyer) onscreen chemistry with Chason is pitch perfect. Soileau plays Aliya with tenderness and delicacy; occasionally she reveals subtle glimpses of apprehension and fear while navigating her client, obviously not wanting to cause any damage to his fragile being.

Directed by Kyle Henry (Room), written by Carlos Trevino and shot by PJ Ravel, Fourplay: San Francisco offers a very positive perspective on one fateful night’s work for a transvestite prostitute. A tranquil yet humorous meditation on the healing and relating parts of relationships, Henry’s film goes well beyond sexual transgressions, delving deep into the human condition.

Fourplay is executive produced by Jim McKay & Michael Stipe and produced by Jason Wehling. Shot in 2009, San Francisco is the first in a four-part series by Henry which promises “four transgressions, four transmissions, four true tales of sexual intimacy.” Each segment will take place in a different city (the other three cities are Austin, Tampa, and West Haven).

Fourplay: San Francisco is currently available on VOD and DVD download from Indiepix.

Rating: 8/10

Director: John Scheinfeld

Writer(s): John Scheinfeld

Harry Nilsson is not a household name.

Originally released in 2006, Who is Harry Nilsson documents the rise and fall of a singer/songwriter who reached the apex of stardom in the 70s. While many aren’t familiar with Nilsson, his songwriting abilities are on display in hits recorded by other artists, such as Three Dog Night and The Monkeys. Nilsson himself found success singing “Without You” and “Coconut” as well as Fred Neil’s song for the film Midnight Cowboy, “Everybody’s Talking,” for which Nilsson would win an Oscar for Best Pop Male Vocal Performance.

Scheinfeld’s documentary does Nilsson justice, documenting his impact on the music industry and the influential power his work had on artists such as The Beatles. Harry would become an undeniable influence among many artists of his time, but with substance abuse issues looming large, Nilsson would ultimately pay a price that would have a spiraling effect on his career. We get the impression that Nilsson was a star that burned twice as bright but half as long; the documentary leaves one wondering what further impact Nilsson’s own particular genius could have had if his demons had not come to call.

Who is Harry Nilsson is heavy on interviews with those who knew Harry best. Speculation set aside, the interviews with his true friends and colleagues corroborate his abilities as a singer/songwriter and give a historical timeline to the unfortunate circumstances that would ultimately lead to his death. There is also a fair amount of footage of Nilsson performances and rare photos of Nilsson at work and at play. (There was a lot of play.)

Indeed, Nilsson’s nights (and days) of decadence would eventually become as well known as his latest hit song. His all night (or all week) festivities and his ability to keep the wives of friends in a frenzy are chronicled, and it becomes evident that Harry knew how to party. While we see a man losing ground to his vices, the portrayal of his tendency to over-indulge is balanced by some light-hearted memories, which help to keep the documentary from becoming a somber tale of loss.

A rare glimpse into the life of a particular individual can be a privilege of sorts, and indeed I felt that privilege when seeing his life unfold. A fan of all things musical, I was unfamiliar with Nilsson’s work, and found the documentary to be both informative and a bit of a music history lesson. Ultimately, Director John Scheinfeld took all of the elements of a good documentary and combined them into a cohesive bit of filmmaking; most will find Harry Nilsson a somewhat elusive character, but his story should capture your attention and keep you engaged.

Who is Harry Nilsson (And Why Is Everybody Talkin’ About Him)? will be shown at the Alamo Drafthouse South Lamar in Austin on November 15. For other select showings around the United States, visit Lorber Films at http://www.lorberfilms.com/who-is-harry-nilsson/who-is-harry-nilsson/.

Rating: 7/10

Director: Robert Rodriguez, Ethan Maniquis (co-director)

Writers: Robert Rodriguez, Álvaro Rodríguez

Starring: Danny Trejo, Michelle Rodriguez, Jeff Fahey, Jessica Alba, Robert De Niro, Steven Seagal, Cheech Marin, Don Johnson, Lindsay Lohan

The film opens as the titular Mexican Federale, Machete (Danny Trejo), is double-crossed by his commanding officer and thus witnesses the brutal murder of his family at the hands of Torrez (Steven Seagal), Mexico’s grand drug lord. Machete next appears as a day laborer in Texas where he is approached by Booth (Jeff Fahey) and offered a hefty sum of $150,000 to assassinate the xenophobic Texas Senator McLaughlin (Robert De Niro). (McLaughlin has been running campaign advertisements denouncing illegal immigrants as parasites and roaches – the Senator’s friends include crazed Minuteman and self-proclaimed boarder guard, Lt. Stillman [Don Johnson].)

Booth is actually on McLaughlin’s payroll and is also associated with Torrez. The assassination job is merely a set-up, sending Machete on the run as an outlaw. Machete befriends Luz (Michelle Rodriguez), who runs a taco truck for day laborers by day and is the freedom fighter SHE – leader of The Network – by night. Luz/SHE recruits Machete, or maybe Machete recruits her? Nonetheless, they are a team now. Sexy ICE Agent Sartana (Jessica Alba) also takes a liking to Machete and subsequently joins the cause to dismantle McLaughlin’s campaign of hatred and end Torrez’s reign of terror.

Yet another throwback to the glory days of late night exploitation Grindhouse cinema (ala Planet Terror and Death Proof), Machete relentlessly dishes out violence, camp and gratuitous nudity. The flimsy plot, cheesy dialogue, over-the-top violence and sexy ladies may be extremely faithful to the Grindhouse genre, but the cinematography and editing are far from it. As an example of referential cinema, I was quite unimpressed with Machete’s aesthetics.

Machete’s biggest fault is that it juggles way too many characters. It felt like writer-director-producer Rodriguez was just trying to find excuses to cast Jessica Alba, Don Johnson, Cheech Marin, Lindsay Lohan and Daryl Sabara in this film. Their roles are all unnecessary and seem to work in opposition to the casting philosophy of Grindhouse cinema. To be honest, the iconic Danny Trejo should have appeared in every single frame of Machete – Robert De Niro and Michelle Rodriguez were also shamefully underutilized. (If you are going to cast De Niro in such a scene-chomping role, please give him more screen time!)

The overt political message is most surprising to me. Machete is a clever and witty diatribe against the numskull ass-backward politics behind Arizona’s 1070 (note: the script began over fifteen years ago and filming commenced prior to the news of Arizona’s 1070). Rodriguez accentuates his position by propagating the screen with a cast (and off-screen crew) comprised of an incredibly talented array of Latinos.

Rating: 4/10

Director: Robert Rodriguez, Ethan Maniquis (co-director)

Writers: Robert Rodriguez, Álvaro Rodríguez

Starring: Danny Trejo, Michelle Rodriguez, Jeff Fahey, Jessica Alba, Robert De Niro, Steven Seagal, Cheech Marin, Don Johnson, Lindsay Lohan

Our story follows the exploits of a former Mexican Federale, codenamed Machete (Danny Trejo). Machete’s role as an officer of the law comes to a crumbling halt as he is double-crossed by his commanding officer and witnesses the murder of his family by Mexico’s leading drug lord, Torrez (Steven Seagal). Left for dead and with nothing else to lose, Machete seeks exile in Texas and becomes a day laborer.

Three years later Machete is randomly approached by a shady businessman named Booth (Jeff Fahey), and offered $150,000 to complete a hit job. Booth wants him to assassinate the xenophobic Senator McLaughlin (Robert De Niro) of Texas who has been running a campaign denouncing illegal immigrants as “parasites” – complete with TV ads featuring roach infestations. Booth tells Machete that the senator must be eliminated because he threatens the supply of cheap labor. In the Senator’s spare time he patrols the Texas/Mexican border with sadistic minuteman Lt. Stillman (Don Johnson) sniping any Mexicans illegally entering the country.

At the same time, ICE Agent Sartana (Jessica Alba) lets her presence be known to Luz (Michelle Rodriguez) who runs the taco truck where the day laborers congregate. Sartana accuses Luz of being the infamous freedom fighter SHE, who leads an illegal underground migration organization know as The Network. Machete’s plans to do the right thing soon fall short as he quickly learns that he is being set-up once again.  Now an outlaw in the states and thirsting for revenge against both Booth and Torrez, Machete teams up with Padre (Cheech Marin), Luz/SHE, and the enlightened Sartana to wage war on those who have wronged him and too seek justice for all Mexican immigrants. They truly did f*ck with the wrong Mexican. Oh yeah, and Lindsay Lohan plays April, the slutty strung out daughter of Booth, who randomly has a life changing moment involving a nun’s uniform, uzis, and aspirations of vigilantism.

So what does Machete have to offer besides the awesome presence of Danny Trejo performing acts of brutal violence? For starters, Robert De Niro plays a sleazy Texas politician. That alone is reason enough to be interested. Beyond that we also get other iconic talent in Jeff Fahey, Steven Seagal, Cheech Marin and Don Johnson. But wait there’s more; for you fans of the ladies, Rodriguez doesn’t disappoint by giving us Jessica Alba, Michelle Rodriguez, Lindsay Lohan, and a plethora of lesser known Latinas who assault the screen with commanding talent and eye pleasing assets.

No matter how self indulgent Robert Rodriguez gets with Machete, he never takes himself too seriously which allows the audience to fully enjoy the wild and campy Grindhouse tone. The timely nature of the politics in Machete are a bonus and purely coincidental since the story originated fifteen years prior and filming began before Arizona’s 1070 became news. As fun as Machete is, it’s hard not to notice that the faux trailer seemed to promise a lot more. The story is filled with so many interesting characters that we sometimes forget who the focal point of the story is. Just like Grindhouse: Planet Terror and Death Proof before it, Machete is supposed to pay homage to the late night exploitation B-movies of yesteryear in all their bloody violence and gratuitous nudity glory. However,  Machete left me wanting more of those defining genre elements, and ultimately more Machete. I want to know more and I want to see it push further. Maybe my wishes will come true in Machete Kills, or Machete Kills Again.

At any rate, it’s important that you know the following:

“Machete don’t text.” -Machete

“Machete makes onions cry.” -Danny Trejo

“When the cops pull over Machete, they try to get out of it.” -Danny Trejo

Rating: 6/10

Director: James C. Strouse

Writer: James C. Strouse

Starring: Sam Rockwell, Shareeka Epps, Emily Rios, Rooney Mara, Emma Roberts, Rob Corddry

Oh Bill (Sam Rockwell), you have fallen so far! In your prime, you were a high school basketball star; now we find you busing tables at what looks like one of those chain restaurants that is barely a notch above fast-food (you know, like Applebee’s and TGI Fridays).

An emotional mess – a failed husband and father, a successful alcoholic (according to Hollywood, aren’t all high school coaches?) – things finally start looking up for Bill once he is recruited by an ex-teammate turned high school principal, Terry (Rob Corddry), to coach the girls varsity basketball team.

With no other options available to him, Bill accepts Terry’s offer despite the fact that Bill has been hated by every female he has ever met.

Bill visibly regrets his decision the very first second that he lays his eyes on his new team. They are an unimpressive lot, and there are not a lot of them. In fact, there are only six of them (counting Mindy [Melanie Hinkle], who will be unable to play the season due to a broken foot): Abbie (Emma Roberts) is the team captain, but only because she is the peppiest; Tamra (Meaghan Witri) is the mountainous feminist; Wendy (Rooney Mara) has a thing for slimy older men who look like pedophiles; Lisa (Shareeka Epps) is the team’s sole black player; Kathy (Emily Rios) is the team’s token Latina player, and their best shooter.

Every word that Bill says to his team oozes with frustration, condescension and sexism; and the girls have no problem dishing attitude right back at him. As the title of the film suggests, the team does pull itself together and they begin improving each game – despite his lack of political correctness, Bill is one heck of a coach. The girls also begin to feel sorry for Bill and they band together to help him navigate the rocky waters of alcoholism and his deteriorating relationship with his daughter Molly (Shana Dowdeswell).

In case you have not already guessed, The Winning Season is an underdog sports comedy – and it has no qualms with referencing previous underdog sports comedies such as The Bad News Bears and Hoosiers. The Winning Season is an affecting and realistic take on the genre, choosing to touch upon some serious issues such as alcoholism, broken homes and teenage sexual awakening. Unfortunately, the film completely fails in its attempt to create a realistic relationship between the team and their coach and the team itself turns out to be just another ragtag collection of exaggerated stereotypes.

Nonetheless, Rockwell is impeccably hilarious and likable in his portrayal of this boozy and self-pitying character. Every line Rockwell recites is pure gold and his physical comedy (which hits its high water mark during the film’s finale) is topnotch. (This is probably not the most appropriate place for me to proclaim my man-crush on Sam Rockwell, is it? Why he was not even nominated for a Best Actor Oscar for his leading role in Duncan Jones’ Moon is still a complete mystery to me.)

I was quite excited to receive an advanced screener of The Winning Season, not only because it features Rockwell in the leading role but also because it was written and directed by James C. Strouse (Grace Is Gone); but other than Rockwell’s performance, I have to admit I was somewhat underwhelmed.

Rating: 4/10

Director: Anton Corbijn

Writer: Rowan Joffe (screenplay), Martin Booth (novel)

Starring: George Clooney, Violante Placido, Thekla Reuten, Paolo Bonacelli

Jack (George Clooney) is, by all accounts and purposes, an American. His career as an assassin is high risk but offers significant financial return. In other words: Jack, like all good ‘mericans, likes guns and money. (There must be a Gang of Four reference somewhere around here…) Jack tries to forget history, living life only in the present; Jack also seems to expect that others will forget his past as well. (Note: The American utilizes Jack to symbolize the United States just as The Quiet American utilizes Pyle.)

The American begins in a tranquil and secluded snowbound cabin in Sweden where it seems Jack believes (or at least hopes) he has left his career behind. Unfortunately for Jack, his past catches up with him and he soon finds himself on the run again. Jack makes his way to Castel del Monte, an Italian community in the Province of L’Aquila in Abruzzo where very little has changed since the Middle Ages and Renaissance periods, to hide out. (Castel del Monte lies within the Parco Nazionale del Gran Sasso e Monti della Laga which assures that the land surrounding the town will remain forever wild and preserves Castel del Monte in a near pristine state.) In other words, history has engulfed Jack in terms of both his career and his choice of hideout. Jack does not hide very well: not a religious man, Jack nonetheless accepts the friendship of the nosy town priest, Father Benedetto (Paolo Bonacelli); unable to decline a well-paying gig from his boss (Johan Leysen), Jack accepts an assignment to build a custom semi-automatic rifle for Mathilde (Thekla Reuten); and incapable of avoiding beautiful women, Jack commences a relationship with an impossibly perfect prostitute, Clara (Violante Placido). His past rears its ugly shadow for one final showdown. Jack will either be absolved from his past and permitted to live the rest of his life as a free man or he will be sentenced to eternal damnation.

Based on Martin Booth’s 1990 novel A Very Private Gentleman, Anton Corbijn’s The American visually channels two Italian masters of the cinema: Michelangelo Antonioni and Sergio Leone. From the pacing to the cinematography to the acting performances to the mise-en-scene, The American is by no means a product of this cinematic era. The plot may sound like a spy thriller (ala Bourne Identity) but Corbijn shows very little interest in suspense or drama (The American may in fact be the anti-Bourne or anti-Salt); Corbijn only cares about Jack’s current psychology and the environment in which he presently exists (even Jack’s history and motivations are kept a mystery). There is very little plot and there is very little action; The American is all about mood and metaphor. The American is as anti-Hollywood as films get nowadays, it is first and foremost a European art film.

By the way, I do realize that comparing Corbijn to one of the greatest filmmakers of all time (Antonioni) is a bit of a stretch. Corbijn comes nowhere near the psychological depth or cinematic immaculateness of L’Avventura, Red Desert or The Passenger (three cinematic masterpieces); but he comes much closer than any other filmmaker has come in the last couple decades.

Rating: 8/10