‘American Star’ is a thriller that follows Wilson (Ian McShane) an assassin on an assignment in Fuerteventura. Delayed in his mission, the man finds himself drawn to the island and its people. Unwilling and hindered in the execution of his job, he is faced with reassessing his goals.
With all the requisite components of a suspense crime film built into its foundation, ‘American Star’ diverges from its initial promise of an anxiety inducing joyride and goes down a different path. Our introduction to Wilson presents him as a weary professional, going through the motions, - exploring his surroundings and setting up for the kill.
Thwarted in his plans by an unexpected delay, Wilson finds himself passing time amongst the tourist population on the island. Forming an unlikely kinship, Wilson encounters Gloria (Nora Arnezeder), a woman he had seen at his target’s house, tending bar in town. Encountering her again, the two enjoy each others company as she shows him an old shipwreck, the titular ‘America Star’, off the coast of the island.
A thinly veiled metaphor, Wilson sees himself in the derelict shipwreck, contemplating his future endeavors, forced to reassess his aims and the reasons for why he does the job he does. Wilson befriends a young boy Max (Oscar Coleman) vacationing with his parents, staying at the same resort he does. Opening up to the child, Wilson reconnects with his humanity as he takes an interest in the boy and forms a friendly bond.
As the story progresses and Wilson encounters more people, meeting Gloria’s mother, he can be seen reevaluating his present state, seemingly trying to be more approachable and sincere, taking interest in the people around him, trying to divorce himself from the reality of his profession.
Like an unwelcome presence, Wilson’s business associate, and tangential family relation Ryan (Adam Nagaitis) checks in with Wilson every now and again, keeping him up to date with the progress of his assignment and making sure he stays on track, disallowing for the man to skew too far from his murderous path. As is eventually revealed, Wilson must kill Gloria along with his mark, as it turns out she is a known drug dealer and an accessory to the drug trade on the island.
Encountering Gloria at the mark’s house after Wilson has assassinated him, Wilson asks Gloria to leave the island, to leave behind her life as it is. Trying to redeem himself and save her, she is killed by Ryan instead, after which Wilson shoots Ryan and takes him to the America Star, walking towards the shipwreck as they both disappear in the water.
Instead of delivering a straight forward action film as evoked by the set-up, the film decides to look inward. Rather than showing us Wilson doing what he does for a living, the story invites us to examine the man for what he is without the weapon. Deeply contemplative, we’re allowed to examine Wilson as he ruminates on what he does and the impact that has, or will have, on the people around him.
Delivering a sorrowful and meditative character through Wilson, Ian McShane embodies a professional with a deeply mournful and troubled past that has lead the individual to this place in time, forcing him to reevaluate the things he does for a living and the cost that actually incurs. Providing for a quiet sadness simmering just under the surface throughout, McShane evokes a somber tone throughout, coming to life when meeting with Arnezeder’s Gloria or Coleman’s Max.
Saddening and profoundly reflective, ‘American Star’ looks to a paid mercenary not for his aptitude in assassination, but rather in exploration of things past, present and future. Ruminating on the impact of his actions, McShane delivers a strong and poignant inward journey of someone who wants to, but ultimately fails to leave behind a positive legacy.
Score: 3/4
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