George Clooney effectively portrays a man living in purgatory in the quiet thriller The American.

Clooney’s infectious charm is a notable factor in his success as an actor. Another is his ability to choose great films to either star in, or direct (often both).

The American sees the engaging thesp embracing the latter while rejecting the former. Often the best performances are found when actors play against type, and in director Anton Corbijn’s sophomore effort (following his critically lauded debut Control), Clooney delivers one of the best turns of his storied career.    

Based on Martin Booth’s novel “A Very Private Gentlemen” (the protagonist was changed from English to American), Clooney stars as Jack, an assassin who lays low in a sleepy Italian village after his last assignment ends in tragedy.

Agreeing to one last job, Jack takes to his next task –the assemblage of a weapon - with perfectionist skill, while haunted by a never ending regret.

In turn, The American becomes a thriller that is as much about reflection as it is espionage. Corbijn is not interested in shooting an action movie in its typical form. Even in the films varied shootouts, there is a weight in the decisions made by Clooney’s assassin, as if every click of the trigger will send him spiralling further into his own personal Hell.

Connection and redemption is sought through two different sources. First comes the spiritual, found in the budding friendship with a Catholic priest (Paolo Bonacelli, with whom Clooney shares the best scenes).

The second is the physical, with local prostitute Clara (Violante Placido, disarmingly beautiful).

Clooney portrays the inner turmoil very well, doing away with his usual ticks and keeping that smooth charm in check, opting for a quiet intensity that transfixes the viewer.

Corbijn photography also dazzles. A photographer as well as a filmmaker, his ability to capture the gorgeous European locales and his equally photogenic actors, adds to the hypnotic feel of this most patient (some might say laboured) of spy thrillers.

Yet while the majesty of its imagery dazzles, it is the anguish of this darkest of souls seeking a semblance of light, that will be remembered after the credits fade to back.