2017’s “American Assassin”, directed by Michael Cuesta.
Starring Dylan O'Brien, Michael Keaton, Sanaa Lathan, Taylor
Kitsch, and Shiva Negar.
What is it about?
“American Assassin” is about an American (Dylan
O'Brien), whom while on vacation, proposes to his girlfriend (Charlotte Vega).
Gleeful in acceptance, the couple’s romantic sojourn is interrupted by a gang
of Isis insurgents who kill Vega (and a number of other tourists). Wounded, and
not just physically, the perpetually motivated O’ Brien is recruited by the CIA
Black Ops division, headed by Sanaa Lathan. He is trained by veteran Michael
Keaton, and they go overseas to fight terrorists who are intent on launching
nuclear attacks. The terrorists are lead
by a turncoat super spy, who has a history with Keaton. Will O’Brien be able to
decipher friend from foe, while preventing a nuclear war?
Why is it worth seeing?
“American Assassin” is a “Jason Bourne” without the amnesia.
There is a plot regarding middle eastern nations conspiring to annihilate other
nations, and the covert group double timing and double tapping to stop them. As
well, Kitsch is an ex member of the group and has a bone to pick with Keaton.
Full of slick stealth movements, men in dark rooms tersely watching the action on
computers, and global tension, the movie moves forwards on this axis.
As a lead, O'Brien can be a little underwhelming at times.
The fact that there are parts of the movie where I confused him with the
stronger Kitsch do not help. His berserker rage at those who belong to the
vague forces that killed his fiancee is purposeful but never focused, which
makes Lathan’s discovery and never ending belief in him all the more difficult
to swallow. Keaton does fine work as the veteran trainer, but there are strands
of motivation between him and Kitsch that do not adequately explain Kitsch’s behaviours.
The movie tries to give O’Brien a in-house confidant, but she’s just another body
in the quest for shaky cam excitement.
“Assassin”’s generic tale of a highly motivated and bereaved
autodidact citizen who becomes trained as a covert killer and international spy
covers lots of the globe- but very little new ground. It says something that a
movie featuring a torture scene to a main character and lots of murder and rage
could be so forgetful. Maybe Jason Bourne lost his memory for a reason.
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