American Star- Ian McShane Shines In This Indie Drama

Quick Take: I noticed Ian McShane was in a new film, but I didn’t bother to prioritize it until I was sent the FYC campaign for him. He sadly hasn’t gained much traction, and I think that has a lot to do with American Star feeling like so many other films of its ilk. An aging assassin is sent to a target, but when the target isn’t home, he starts familiarizing himself with the local area, the people, and the culture, who think he’s just another tourist, or an ex-pat. Of course, things get complicated, and that is where the drama lies. As much of a fan as I am of McShane’s work on television, in programs like Deadwood and American Gods, he seems to be trapped far more in character actor roles on film. It is the rare opportunity to see him in a lead, but if McShane is likely to get that acting nomination one day for his film work, realistically, it will be for a supporting performance. The kind of persona he has on the small screen doesn’t seem to capture the fancy of the big screen audiences, but there’s no doubt he’s one of the best working right now. I did get to listen to the audio description track for this, and I thought it was pretty good, especially toward the beginning, when you have little context as to what is going on. It drops you in the middle, almost already in progress. The audio description supported that feeling, but I wasn’t lost. For more, check out my video.