DVD Review: American Star

Synopsis:

Seasoned assassin Wilson (Ian McShane) is on final assignment in the island of Fuerteventura to kill a man he has never met. But the target is delayed, and Wilson’s plans must change. Instead of following protocol and returning to London, Wilson decides to stay on the island. It’s been a long time since he’s had a vacation. When his target finally returns, Wilson is there waiting for him in his house, as he had been a few days earlier. But in this brief time, everything has changed. He came to kill a man who he had never laid eyes on. That was easy. Now, nothing will be.

What We Thought:

American Star is a slow burn, but has a solid performance from the always awesome Ian McShane. With a different lead actor the film probably would have lost my interest, but I’ve always enjoyed McShane’s work and he’s good yet again.

He plays an assassin who shows up for a job and finds out the target hasn’t arrived yet. He hangs around and befriends a local bartender. She shows him around, shows him the American Star ship that has been deteriorating in the ocean and even introduces him to her mother. He befriends a young boy staying a few doors down at his hotel. I guess it’s to show the human side of McShane’s Wilson who seems to be at the end of his career. To me it slows the film down for much too long as you sit waiting for him to actually move on his target.

Along with McShane being good the setting works too. I’m not overly familiar with the location, but it’s beautiful and makes for a good shooting environment. There’s a high end hotel right on the ocean. There are the smaller neighborhoods near the more luxurious/touristy spots. There are the poorer sections where most of the locals live and then the nice house which is the location for the target. It all makes for a good backdrop for a man killing time and maybe actually living life for the first time in a while.

Anyone expecting a big action flick with an assassin dropping bodies will be royally disappointed in American Star. Those looking for a solid McShane performance should enjoy it, but be prepared for a slow moving journey. I wanted more from it, but did like the ending and McShane.