The American Friend

This is a movie for me that is exactly on the border between being great and just being good. Wim Wenders has a certain and good direction, but that doesn't change the fact that it bored me in some moments. However, I don't really have anything to complain about in terms of acting. The actors succeed in building an atmosphere in accordance with the setting and the director's intentions. (11/04/2015)

Wim Wenders is a serious intellectual, and some of his films are so slow and introspective that they are indigestible for the average viewer. The American Friend is a step into a territory where completely different creators operate, and his film could be described as a psychological thriller. Several scenes balance on the edge of the action genre, but Wenders is evidently interested in something else - the psychology of his characters, their relationships, and their motivations. It's not a perfect film, as the screenplay contains some improbable motives, and the deception in Paris is transparent. Wenders leaves a lot to his audience and doesn't reveal much about his characters, which is only to the benefit of the matter because the viewer's imagination can work at full speed, giving the film a mysterious dimension. Dennis Hopper plays one of his typical villains, but his character is far from one-dimensional and is among the most interesting characters he has created in his career. Overall impression: 80%. (11/16/2009)

This is an existentialist thriller about the manipulation of a person in a difficult situation and the strangely complex friendship of two lost souls. The average audience expecting a straightforward thriller will be bored, but those who already know what to expect from Wim Wenders will be delighted with this engaging somber tale, amplified by Robby Müller's hypnotic camera work and the distinctive music of Jürgen Knieper. The whole thing is underscored by the captivating acting performances of both of the stars, Bruno Ganz and Dennis Hopper, whose scenes together look completely natural and whose fates you want to discover more about. I applaud both gentlemen. (02/17/2019)