‘American Star’ Review: Ian McShane’s Hitman Postpones One Last Job for a Soul-Searching Island Vacation
variety.comJ. Kim Murphy Short days on site, nice rental cars, plus room and board — being a hitman doesn’t seem so bad. But a job is a job, and everybody deserves a vacation now and then.
That’s what Wilson (Ian McShane) treats himself to in “American Star,” checking into a Canary Islands resort after discovering his target’s residence empty for the time being.
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.
The director’s most rewarding decision: simply trusting McShane to summon the mood. Now 81 years old, the decorated English actor conveys a wealth of character with his delicate but steady gait, playing a hitman of few words.
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