The American

Commercials thrive on the concept of being misleading, but it still stings just the same to fall victim to false advertising.

George Clooney's new film "The American," which debuted yesterday, led the most misleading marketing campaign of any movie this year. The commercials and trailers present it like a second coming of "The Bourne Identity." The film is actually 20 minutes of Bourne-like action mixed into 75 minutes of an artsy foreign film about a tormented man and his torrid affair with a prostitute.

Despite being misleading, "The American" is still an enjoyable movie. The cinematography is beautiful, which you expect when the film takes place in an Italian village. Unique aerial shots of the village and footage of the countryside provide plenty of aesthetic appeal.

The action scenes are more believable than in most movies. Clooney maintains his composure in the face of danger, but he shows signs of the fear that would be natural in such situations.

While the supporting cast leaves something to be desired, Clooney is masterful in his portrayal of such a dark, closed-off character. He usually depends on wit and sarcastic remarks to make his characters relatable, but his most dynamic scenes in this film involve little to no dialogue.

The identity of Clooney's character is kept a mystery, and he is referred to as Mr. Butterfly because of a tattoo on his upper back. He is established as a cold-blooded killer in the opening scene, eliminating two potential assassins and taking out his romantic interest in the process.

Clooney's beard in the opening scene makes him look like Sean Connery while his stoic demeanor is closer to Daniel Craig's portrayal of James Bond. Fortunately, he shaves before leaving to hide out in Italy. While lying low, he is revealed to be a weapons expert when he's contracted to build a custom gun with automatic firing power and the range of a sniper rifle.

Mr. Butterfly accepts the assignment, but becomes paranoid about occupational hazards and begins questioning his career choice. During his internal tug-of-war, he tries to justify his actions in a conversation with the local priest. Mr. Butterfly says, "All men are sinners… everything I've done, I've had good cause to do." Figuring out whether he truly believes what he says to the priest is like trying to solve a Rubik's cube. It may be possible, but it's not likely to ever happen without outside assistance.

Mr. Butterfly remains closed off until he engages in a "professional" relationship with Clara, the prostitute with a heart of gold. Their sex scenes are gratuitous for the sake of being gratuitous and their storyline becomes reminiscent of the song "Roxanne" by The Police. When Mr. Butterfly becomes more than just a client to Clara, he begins to let his guard down.

The simplicity of the film, while often slow, is original and refreshing. However, the climax of the movie is trite, relying on too many clichés to resolve everything.

Those looking for the action-thriller presented in the previews should stay away. "The American" is no intense thriller, but it is worth a view for anyone not afraid of something different.