Opening on September 1 is director Anton Corbijn's (Control) The American.  Starring George Clooney as an aging assassin who vows the next assignment will be his last, The American is one of those movies I was really looking forward to...but the closer it gets to release, the more I believe it might not be good.  The reason I say this is due to the lack of screenings by Focus Features.  I've done this job long enough to know when a movie is good, they screen it early and often for the press to generate online buzz.  But The American is about a week away from getting released and I don't know anyone that's seen it and the only screening I've been offered is on the 30th.  As I said, that makes me nervous.

But even though it might not be getting screened, I loved Corbijn's Control and I'm a big fan of Clooney, so I'm really hoping this film surprises me.  Also, I thought the trailer and the featurette were solid.  With The American getting released next week, we'll all know soon enough if it's worth checking out.  Until then, Focus has released a bunch of new images from the film, so hit the jump to check them out:

Academy Award winner George Clooney stars in the title role of this suspense thriller, filmed on location in Italy. Alone among assassins, Jack (played by Mr. Clooney) is a master craftsman. When a job in Sweden ends more harshly than expected for this American abroad, he vows to his contact Larry (Bruce Altman) that his next assignment will be his last. Jack reports to the Italian countryside, where he holes up in a small town and relishes being away from death for a spell. The assignment, as specified by a Belgian woman, Mathilde (Thekla Reuten of "In Bruges"), is in the offing as a weapon is constructed. Surprising himself, Jack seeks out the friendship of local priest Father Benedetto (Italian stage and screen veteran Paolo Bonacelli) and pursues romance with local woman Clara (Italian leading lady Violante Placido). But by stepping out of the shadows, Jack may be tempting fate.

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