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‘American Star’ Review: Ian McShane’s Hitman Postpones One Last Job for a Soul-Searching Island Vacation
Director Gonzalo López-Gallego's arthouse spin on familiar genre territory gets thin by the end, but star Ian McShane offers some poignant moments.
A foreign location and senior citizen with a gun can often indicate a bargain bin actioner these days, but filmmaker Gonzalo López-Gallego surprises with an art-house touch, pushing his star into a considered, if also very safe, tranquility. McShane has played more than a fair share of tough guys — in recent decades, cussing saloon owner Al Swearengen in HBO’s “Deadwood” and cultured hotel proprietor Winston in “John Wick.” His rich CV adds dramatic weight to his turn here as an over-the-hill gun-for-hire. “American Star” largely keeps afloat through its disarmingly precise visual language, built around lovely pillow shots of landscapes, slyly established motifs and more than a handful of inconspicuous but carefully blocked masters.
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