American Star, 2024.
Directed by Gonzalo López-Gallego.
Starring Ian McShane, Nora Arnezeder, Adam Nagaitis, Thomas Kretschmann, Fanny Ardant, Andrés Gertrúdix, Oscar Coleman, Sabela Arán, and Pedro Alberto Galindo.
SYNOPSIS:
An assassin on a final assignment in Fuerteventura, to kill a man he has never met. When his target is delayed, he finds himself drawn to the island, people and a ghostly shipwreck.
As one character points out, there are three types of people on the island of Fuerteventura: those who live here, tourists, and those who are running from something. Considering Ian McShane’s military veteran, Wilson, regularly dresses sharply in suits and doesn’t seem too interested in stepping inside any of the resort swimming pools, not to mention his quiet and focused demeanor, it’s safe to say that he is not here for tourism.
In director Gonzalo López-Gallego’s American Star (coming from a screenplay by Nacho Faerna), it’s more about business as Wilson is on one final assassination job to kill a man he has never met, but as unforeseen circumstances push him into ingratiating himself into the island, the people, and culture, it begins to feel as if he has been running from anything resembling normalcy for his entire life. Ironically, the place where apparently some people go to get themselves off the grid is the place where Wilson might find himself and realize the potential of what he could do with life after getting out of his current murderous line of work.
Ian McShane is a national acting treasure who can wear years of experience, conflict, and painful memories all across his sunken face and eyes, all while using minimal dialogue to his advantage. When he does speak, he tends to interact with each character differently, such as putting a slight spin on his voice when talking to a child (Oscar Coleman) going through a rough patch with parents consistently arguing, casually indulging the boy about parachuting and other topics. There’s a strong sensation that even though Wilson has likely done some horrible things, there is still humanity in him that hasn’t been broken, and that he can connect with people. He just might not realize it, at least until his mission is delayed, forcing him into exploring the island and getting to know other people to keep himself occupied.
The strongest example of this is when he comes across Nora Arnezeder’s Gloria, a free spirit living on the island who expresses interest and offers to help him find the remains of an infamous shipwreck. As they drive around the island and do so (complete with some exquisite and expensive photography by José David Montero capturing the various barren landscapes and breathtaking vantage points), they develop a bond with Gloria going as far as inviting Wilson to stop by for lunch and meet her mother. There is one trait all three characters share: they love meeting new people from all walks of life. When Wilson does meet this mother, Anne (Fanny Ardant), she enjoys his company but also sees right through that he has no intentions of moving to the island, bluntly stating not to hurt her daughter.
There is also some vague family drama with Wilson’s nephew Ryan (Adam Nagaitis) present on the island, seemingly there to make sure his uncle gets the job done while also briefly chatting about personal matters. However, it’s not really a surprise why Ryan is really there, or what’s going to go down in the third act. Again, Ian McShane is exceptionally gifted at making believable connections with every character is comes across, but there is also the feeling that the film is lagging along (the opening 40 minutes are especially brutally slow) to get to that inevitable explosion of reveals and violence. Not to mention, aspects ranging from the family drama to the shipwreck simply feel undercooked. Fortunately for the filmmakers, Ian McShane holds American Star together as an engaging character study.
Flickering Myth Rating – Film: ★ ★ ★ / Movie: ★ ★ ★
Robert Kojder is a member of the Chicago Film Critics Association and the Critics Choice Association. He is also the Flickering Myth Reviews Editor. Check here for new reviews, follow my Twitter or Letterboxd, or email me at MetalGearSolid719@gmail.com
