Ian McShane has style as an assassin waiting for his target to show up.
Last week, I attended an advanced screening of the independent thriller “American Star,” and met its star Ian McShane at the Q&A. He seems to have enjoyed playing the role of an assassin and former Falklands War soldier, who chooses to stand out in a black suit at a vacation resort on the island of Fuerteventura. Not only is his character asked: “Where you born in that shirt?,” but even the actor acknowledges on the style of Michael Fassbender’s character in “The Killer.”
Without seeing a trailer, I was pondering on what his character Wilson’s game was and why he has to break into someone’s house and how he plans to deal with his situation. Now IFC Films distributes this film in theaters and on demand, and while I’m sure most people would continue to see the new Jason Statham vehicle “The Beekeeper” in theaters, I say “American Star” is the better movie to see. It doesn’t require machine guns or idiot characters or commercialism, but rather a complexity we try to understand with the main character.
As Wilson arrives on the island and at his victim’s (Thomas Kretschmann) house, he finds out he isn’t home yet. So what’s a man to do? Maybe reunite with the son of his war buddy (Adam Nagaitis), start a romance with a bartender (Nora Arnezeder) who is taking care of her mother, and befriending a little boy (Oscar Coleman) who hangs outside his hotel room, while his parents argue.
Possessing the tone of a 1970s movie, we’re seeing McShane speaking when he chooses to speak and meeting the people who pop into his life. At least that’s how I’m viewing it, since I didn’t see a trailer.
The action and thrills come during the third act, when we get to see the target and a plot twist, which I won’t give away. There’s no reason for this target’s assassination, and the story doesn’t delve deep in that, but “American Star” doesn’t have to be just about that. It draws us into Wilson’s life, what his occupation is, and who he interacts with. It would be a short visit, due to his target’s arrival, but it can also show off the characteristics, and McShane does an amazing job conveying it. And there’s also some chemistry between him, Arenzeder, Coleman, and Nagaitis, who are all written with honesty by Nacho Faerna.
The reason for the title is that Wilson also visits the luxury ship from known as American Star (formally known as SS America), which has been wrecked on the Canary Island’s beaches since 1994. As of 2022, it’s no longer visible, but this movie likes to think it still is. With the assistance of CGI effects and a key ingredient to the story, I believe.
Director Gonzalo Lopez-Callego makes “American Star” a low-key assassin film with a first rate actor, who has been in big budgeted action movies like “John Wick.” The movie depends on him to make the character likable and somebody we want to get to know. If this movie fails to find big audiences in the small theaters or streaming services which distribute it, then maybe in 5 or 10 years, someone who has can recommend to his/her buddy that it’s something worth rediscovering. I know what I’m talking about. My friend did recommend “They Call Me Jeeg” and “The Death of Superman Lives: What Happened?,” and both of them were massively entertaining. I’m just glad IFC Films is releasing “American Star” on both sides of the equation.
In Select Theaters and Streaming On Demand.