Blu-ray review: The American—Universal (Blu-ray)

The American (Blu-ray)

By Doctorr

Video: 5 Mo's/5
Audio: 4 Mo's/5

Synopsis: The movie opens in the mountains of Sweden.  Jack, an American abroad is enjoying a walk in the calm and quite mountains of Sweden with his female companion.  The sound field in quite and calm but then all hell breaks loose.  Shots are fired.  surrounds come alive and Jack ends up shooting his companion and the assassin who was sent to kill him.  It turns out that Jack himself is an assassin.  After this job does not go so well and his cover blown, he has no choice but to hide in the Italian countryside until his contact figures out how the Swedes found him.  His contact offers him a job and he takes it.  He becomes friends with a local Priest and gets involved in a relationship with Clara.  Jack senses that he might be loosing his edge, but still decides to break the rules.... 

I watched this movie last week but did not want to write about it because I felt that I would not do justice to it.  Here it is anyway. 

Video:

This blu-ray has to be the most beautifully filmed title that I have ever seen.  The photography is gorgeous.  The Italian country side shots are eye candy.  The detail is amazing and stunning in every shot.  The town where Jack is hiding out is a medieval town and it is captured beautifully on camera.  The color palette is intentionally stylized and created a great mood and atmosphere which pulled me right in to the movie.  I am telling you, man, the video is a must see.  The wide screen shots of the Italian countryside are absolutely amazing.  

Audio:

The soundtrack is laid back but is very effective in creating an atmosphere of tension.  In scenes where Jack is testing his handmade weapon, the gun shots seemed very real (not that I know what real gun shots sound like).  Nevertheless, I felt the sound in my chest.  There was one scene where me and my wife jumped out of our seats.  If your system is correctly calibrated you will literally hear the bullets being fired towards you from the front of the room.  Amazing!

Highly Recommended.