George Clooney made another fine film choice. He has just signed on to play an assassin hiding in a small idyllic town in Italy before carrying out his final assignment. The film is based on a novel by Martin Booth. Clooney’s character is described as a man who resisted his usual aversion to human interaction, and his friendships and romantic entanglements end up complicating his mission. I’ve never read the novel myself, so I can’t speak on whether it is any good or not, or even if the story would translate well into film. Here is a brief synopsis of the novel:
“Retreating to an Italian village prior to his next assignment, an assassin — the locals call him Signor Farfallar, Mr. Butterfly, for he appears to be a discreet gentleman who paints rare butterflies — prepares for his task. But as inconspicuous as Farfalla tries to make himself, he becomes enamored with his life there and to one woman in particular. He vows to make this his last kill but his past catches up with him and he senses a treacherous circle closing in on him.”
Clooney has been absent from films these days, with his last appearance being in last years dark comedy Burn Before Reading. I’m a pretty big Clooney fan, and I typically watch anything he appears in, so I’m pretty excited about his return to the big screen. I really liked his performance in Burn After Reading, and I’ve always thought he was great in comedies, so I was kind of hoping that his next project would at least allow for a bit of subtle comedy. Still, Clooney is an extremely talented dramatic actor, so I can’t complain. The story sounds pretty interesting to me. I haven’t seen a really good thriller lately, so I’m looking forward to this. Filming is set to start in July.