The American (2010)

Director:

Anton Corbijn

Writers (WGA):

Rowan Joffe (screenplay)
Martin Booth (novel)

Release Date:

1 September 2010 (USA)

Genre:

Crime | Drama | Thriller

Plot:

An assassin hides out in Italy for one last assignment.

Plot Keywords:

Priest | Assassin | Prostitute | Dalarna Sweden | Death

Awards:

2 nominations

Cast

George Clooney	...	Jack / Edward
Violante Placido	...	Clara
Thekla Reuten	...	Mathilde
Paolo Bonacelli	...	Father Benedetto
Johan Leysen	...	Pavel
Irina Björklund	...	Ingrid
Filippo Timi	...	Fabio
Lars Hjelm	...	Hunter #1
Giorgio Gobbi	...	Man on Vespa
Silvana Bosi	...	Old Cheese Vendor
Guido Palliggiano	...	Waiter (Market)
Samuel Vauramo	...	Young Swedish Man
Antonio Rampino	...	Postmaster
Björn Granath	...	Hunter #2 Hunter #2
Ilaria Cramerotti	...	Hooker #2
Angelica Novak	...	Hooker #3
Isabelle Adriani	...	Hooker #1
Raffaele Serao	...	Barman (Town Square Bar)
Anna Foglietta	...	Anna
Sandro Dori	...	Waiter (Locanda Grapelli)
rest of cast listed alphabetically:
Patrizio Pelizzi	...	Antonio (uncredited)

Directed by
Anton Corbijn

Writing credits (WGA)
Rowan Joffe		(screenplay)
Martin Booth		(novel "A Very Private Gentleman")

Produced by
Anne Carey	....	producer
George Clooney	....	producer
Jill Green	....	producer
Grant Heslov	....	producer
Enzo Sisti	....	executive producer
Moa Westeson	....	line producer: Sweden unit
Ann Wingate	....	producer

Original Music by
Herbert Grönemeyer

Cinematography by
Martin Ruhe

Film Editing by
Andrew Hulme

Casting by
Beatrice Kruger		(as Béatrice Kruger)

Production Design by
Mark Digby

Art Direction by
Denis Schnegg		(supervising art director)
Domenico Sica		(co-art director)
Mikael Varhelyi

Set Decoration by
Michelle Day

Costume Design by
Suttirat Anne Larlarb

Makeup Department
Stefano Ceccarelli	....	key hair stylist
Jenny Fred	....	makeup artist
Manlio Rocchetti	....	key makeup artist

Production Management
Andrea Alunni	....	unit manager
Vito Colazzo	....	unit production manager: re-shoots
Gabriella Di Santo	....	unit manager: re-shoots
Lucie Graves	....	post-production supervisor
Börje Hansson	....	production supervisor
Susanne Lundqvist	....	production manager
Erik Paoletti	....	production manager
Susanne Tiger	....	production manager
Luciano Tito	....	assistant unit manager

Second Unit Director or Assistant Director
Maurizio Baisi	....	second second assistant director: additional photography
Michel Cheyko	....	first assistant director (as Mishka Cheyko)
Edoardo Ferretti	....	second assistant director
Fabrizio Imparato	....	assistant director
Pontus Klänge	....	second second assistant director: Sweden
Andrea Pagani	....	second second assistant director
Barbara Pastrovich	....	second assistant director: additional photography
Alessia Silvetti	....	second second assistant director

Art Department
Barbara Adducci	....	art department coordinator
Giancarlo Di Fusco	....	scenic painter
Cristiano Donzelli	....	storyboard artist
Silvia Fontana	....	graphic designer
Paul Gustavsson	....	property master
Teddy Holm	....	painter
Janne Hverven	....	carpenter
Glauco Isidori	....	painter
Simon Jaktlund	....	art department laborer
Thomas Jones	....	armoury props
Tamara Marini	....	stand-by art director
Antonio Murer	....	key swing gang
Sebastiano Murer	....	assistant property master
Sandro Piccarozzi	....	buyer
Elisa Piccini	....	art department production assistant
Alessandro Santucci	....	assistant art director
Lorenzo Sartor	....	carpenter
Calle Sjölin	....	standby props
Johan Sjölin	....	construction coordinator
Kristoffer Sjöström	....	painter
Sophie Tarver	....	propmaker
Matti Rintala von Knorring	....	carpenter
Daniela Zorzetto	....	assistant set decorator

Sound Department
Oliver Brierley	....	adr mixer
Naomi Dandridge	....	adr mixer
Paul Davies	....	sound designer
Paul Davies	....	supervising sound editor
Steve Finn	....	boom operator
Nick Foley	....	adr mixer
Jack Gillies	....	sound effects editor
Ian Morgan	....	adr supervisor
Chris Munro	....	production sound mixer
Paul Munro	....	sound recordist: Swedish unit
Luke Neuman	....	boom operator
Keith Partridge	....	foley engineer
Mark Paterson	....	sound re-recording mixer
Jamie Roden	....	sound re-recording mixer
James Shannon	....	dolby sound consultant
Peter Shaw	....	dialogue editor
Sophie Shelton	....	assistant sound editor
Barnaby Smyth	....	foley supervisor
Andy Stallabrass	....	adr recordist
Jack Stew	....	foley artist
Andrew Stirk	....	sound re-recording mixer
Lionel Strutt	....	adr coordinator
Jason Swanscott	....	foley artist
Robert Weatherall	....	mix technician

Special Effects by
Renato Agostini	....	special effects supervisor
Gusten Blick	....	special effects senior technician: Sweden (as Eddy Gusten Blick)
Stefano Corridori	....	special effects
Johan Harnesk	....	special effects supervisor: Sweden
Victor Nilsson	....	special effects technician: Sweden
Claudio Quaglietti	....	special effects technician
Anders Nilsson Ylitalo	....	special effects technician: Sweden (as Anders Nilssen)

Visual Effects by
Marcus Alqueres	....	animation supervisor: Modus FX
Jean Arousi	....	production assistant: Modus FX
Mostafa Badran	....	computer graphics supervisor
Mostafa Badran	....	lead td and layout: Modus FX
Matthew Baker	....	digital restoration
Mathieu Bertrand	....	look development artist: Modus FX
Fabio Bianchi	....	telecine colorist dailies
Patrick Bissonnette	....	visual effects financial controller: Modus FX
Patrick Bissonnette	....	visual effects line producer
Marc Bourbonnais	....	visual effects executive producer: Modus FX
Nadège Bozzetti	....	lead texture artist: Modus FX
Valérie Clément	....	project development: Modus FX
Jacynthe Côté	....	visual effects production manager (as Jacinthe Cote)
Stefano De Gennaro	....	digital technology manager
Marc-Antoine Desjardins	....	look development artist: Modus FX
Andreane Dodier-Villeneuve	....	digital compositor: Modus FX
Andrea Espinal	....	digital compositor
Nicolas Fillion	....	texture artist: Modus FX
Jean-Sébastien Fortin	....	data wrangler: Modus FX
Armando Franco	....	digital compositor
Dominic Gaudreau	....	technical support: Modus FX
Emma Hulme	....	digital restoration
Luc Julien	....	compositing supervisor: Modus FX
Alban Kasikci	....	digital compositor: Modus FX
Pascal Laflamme	....	data wrangler: Modus FX
Louis Laflamme-Fillion	....	visual effects editorial: Modus FX
Jeremy Lambolez	....	animator: Modus FX
Francis Larouche	....	production assistant: Modus FX
Martin Larrivée	....	digital compositor: Modus FX
Simon Lehembre	....	digital compositor
Sylvain Lorgeou	....	lead concept and matte painting: Modus FX
Mickaël Léger	....	digital compositor: Modus Fx
Philip Melancon	....	animator: Modus Fx
Robert Moodie	....	technical director
Tanya Moore	....	production assistant: Modus FX
Benoit Morin	....	matchmover: Modus Fx
Louis Morin	....	visual effects supervisor
Jean-Francois Morissette	....	motion tracking: Modus FX
Cynthia Mourou	....	visual effects producer: Modus FX
Velislava Nikolova	....	animator: Modus FX
Christophe Pacaud	....	digital compositor: Modus FX
Vincent Papaix	....	lead digital compositor: Modus Fx
Martin Pelletier	....	lead look development artist: Modus FX
Mathieu Phaneuf	....	lead modeler: Modus FX
Stephane Picard	....	data wrangler: Modus FX
Alice Pépujol	....	digital compositor: Modus FX
Stéphane Rioux	....	digital compositor: Modus FX
Asa Shoul	....	digital colourist
Joao Sita	....	lead digital compositor: Modus FX
Stéphane Stradella	....	digital compositor
Vincent Toussaint	....	technical support: Modus FX
Jean-Philippe Traoré	....	digital compositor: Modus Fx
Sarah Trepanier	....	visual effects coordinator: Modus FX
Armando Velasquez	....	digital compositor: Modus FX
Armando Velazquez	....	digital compositor: Modus Fx
Paolo Verrucci	....	telecine colorist dailies
Yanick Wilisky	....	visual effects supervisor: Modus FX
David Yabu	....	animator: Modus FX (as Hiroyuki David Yabu)
Will Hudson	....	digital restoration (uncredited)

Stunts
Mauro Balmas	....	stunt rigger: additional photography
Francesca Cama	....	stunt double: Violante Placido
Umberto De Luca	....	stunt double: Johan Leysen
Silvia Di Pietro	....	stunt double: Thekla Reuten
Lars Hjelm	....	stunt player
Alessandro Novelli	....	stunt double: Samuel Vauramo
Emiliano Novelli	....	stunt double: George Clooney
Kimmo Rajala	....	stunt coordinator: Sweden
Franco Maria Salamon	....	stunt coordinator (as Franco Salamon)
Giorgio Antonini	....	assistant stunt coordinator (uncredited)
Jacqueline Freda	....	stunt double (uncredited)

Camera and Electrical Department
Mickey Bergstrom	....	video assist
Stefano Biscaro	....	flight head technician
Jeremy Braben	....	aerial director of photography
Alessandro Brambilla	....	director of photography: second unit
Alessandro Brambilla	....	steadicam operator
Fausto Cancellieri	....	grip
Alessandro Cardelli	....	electrician
Marco Cartocci	....	generator operator
Simona De Lullo	....	second assistant camera: "b" camera
Claudio Del Gobbo	....	dolly grip
Massimiliano Dessena	....	grip
Massimiliano di Giuliani	....	generator operator
Stefano Di Pasquali	....	grip
Gianfranco Di Silvestro	....	video assist/cable
Jonas Elmqvist	....	gaffer
Björn Engberg	....	second assistant camera
Doriano Forti	....	rigging grip
Claudio Frollano	....	rigging gaffer
Mattias Färnstrand	....	second assistant camera
David Giorgio	....	additional video assist
Emil Hall	....	grip
Marcus Hansson	....	best boy electric
Ocki Hansson	....	dolly grip
Oscar Hansson	....	grip assistant
Ronald Holmberg	....	grip assistant
Fredrik Johansson	....	grip assistant
Nils-Erik Järvi	....	electrician
Magnus Karlsson	....	electrician
Giles Keyte	....	still photographer
Staffan Kvarneke	....	video assist
Björn Köling	....	camera loader
Simone Lucchetti	....	electrician
Luca Martis	....	electrician
Tommaso Mele	....	key grip
Alexander Palm	....	additional director of photography
Dario Paolini	....	additional second assistant camera
Stefano Paradiso	....	additional Steadicam operator
Riccardo Pau	....	camera loader: additional photography
Giorgio Perluigi	....	second assistant camera: "a" camera
Giorgio Pezzotti	....	grip
Francisco Pintore	....	additional first assistant camera
Massimo Rinella	....	grip
Martin Ruhe	....	camera operator: "a" camera
Lorenzo Sardini	....	grip
Luca Sardini	....	electrician
Fulvio Segianni	....	grip
Cristiano Sergioli	....	grip: technocrane
Giovanni Tancredi	....	electrician
Alberto Torrecilla	....	first assistant camera
Ebbe Wengenroth	....	electrician
Julian White	....	gaffer
Francesco Zaccaria	....	gaffer
Giacomo Zampieri	....	clapper loader
Davide Zanetti	....	camera loader

Casting Department
Vanessa Baker	....	adr voice casting
Morgana Bianco	....	extras casting
Doris von Thury	....	casting assistant

Costume and Wardrobe Department
Bruno de Santa	....	costumer
Sonoo Mishra	....	associate costume designer
Elena Pascaniuc	....	seamstress
Serena Pirillo	....	wardrobe runner
Nicolas Richard	....	costume assistant
Sonia Signoretti	....	set costumer
Maurizio Torti	....	costumer: re-shoots
Cristina Tucci	....	costume supervisor

Editorial Department
George Adams	....	second assistant editor
Peter Bengtsson	....	post-production coordinator
Todd Kleparski	....	digital intermediate producer
Jaime Leonard	....	on-line editor
Begoña Lopez	....	digital intermediate producer
Barry Moen	....	first assistant editor
Asa Shoul	....	digital intermediate colorist

Music Department
Christine Bergren	....	music legal and clearance
Jo Buckley	....	assistant orchestra contractor
Chris Clad	....	violin
Peter Clarke	....	music editor
Peter Cobbin	....	score mixer
Peter Cobbin	....	score recordist
Anthony Fleeth	....	musician: solo cello
Stanley Gabriel	....	assistant music engineer
Isobel Griffiths	....	orchestra contractor
Herbert Grönemeyer	....	piano
David Hefti	....	protools engineer
Nick Ingman	....	conductor
Nick Ingman	....	orchestrator
Alfred Kritzer	....	music arranger: strings
Peter Lale	....	musican: solo viola
Alli MacInnes	....	music production coordinator
Sam Okell	....	protools engineer
Frank Ricotti	....	musician: percussion
Alex Silva	....	score producer
Jonathan Williams	....	musician: cello

Transportation Department
Daniele Abeille	....	transportation coordinator
Rebecka Andersson	....	driver: snowmobile
Roberto Arena	....	driver
Christofer Brännström	....	driver: snowmobile
Mattias Dahlström	....	driver
Helena Edwang	....	driver: snowmobile
Lars Erik Eriksson	....	driver
Leif Eriksson	....	driver
Tony Fick	....	driver: snowmobile
Kenneth Hoflin	....	driver
Jens Håkansson	....	driver: snowmobile
Anneli Jonasson	....	driver: snowmobile
Helen Jonasson	....	driver: snowmobile
Mikael Jonasson	....	driver: snowmobile
Giuseppe Lisi	....	driver
Fabrizio Liverio	....	driver
Marco Maurizi	....	driver
Edoardo Moracci	....	transportation captain
Joakim Norrlund	....	driver: snowmobile
Alex Wayaffe	....	picture vehicles coordinator
Tobias Westberg	....	driver: snowmobile
Maria Östman	....	driver

Other crew
Stephanie Ahlen	....	operations manager: aerial unit Italy
Emil Ahlén	....	assistant to assistant director
Susan Chika Anisiobi	....	assistant accountant
Monica Axelsson	....	assistant to director
Jon Baker	....	supervising armorer
Eleonora Baldwin	....	script supervisor
Matteo Bardelli	....	additional set production assistant
Thomas Beckman	....	security
Tony Bergslid	....	traffic blocker
Serina Björnbom	....	production assistant
Rebecca Booth	....	assistant to the director: re-shoots
Clare Brody	....	data operator: Technicolor
Sara Carelli	....	interpreter
Nando Cartocci	....	production assistant: reshoot
Lara dall'Antonia	....	accommodations coordinator
Silvia Di Pietro	....	stand-in/photo double
Margherita Di Tullio	....	production secretary
Stefan Ek	....	stand-in
Maria Pia Fanigliulo	....	assets representative
Maria Pia Fanigliulo	....	production secretary: additional photography
Maria Fiorito	....	accountant: re-shoots
Veronica Forsén	....	stand-in
Chiara Fregoso	....	assistant production coordinator
Linda Gamble	....	unit publicist
Roberto Gentile	....	stand-in/photo double
Shani Geva	....	assistant: Anne Carey
Christian Giuliani	....	payroll assistant
Marcus Heidenbeck	....	stand-in
Adam Hilario	....	production coordinator
Gustav Hylén	....	catering assistant
Kerstin Hylén	....	catering assistant
Karin Jonsson	....	security
Marie-Louise Khondji	....	assistant to George Clooney
Hakan Kousetta	....	legal services for Greenlit Rights
Ashley Kravitz	....	clearance coordinator
Helena Larsson	....	production coordinator
Anders Lexne	....	armorer
Per Lindbärg	....	production controller
Åsa Linder	....	chief financial officer
Norma Marie Mascia	....	production coordinator
Angel McConnell	....	assistant: Mr. Clooney
Karin Mercurio	....	production accountant: italy
Marco Milani	....	assistant location manager
Damian Mitchell	....	weapons coordinator
Stefania Monetti	....	catering coordinator
Katie Murphy	....	assistant to Grant Heslov
Neal Naito	....	production assistant
Cariddi Nardulli	....	assistant to Mr. Sisti
Angelica Nevby	....	chief accountant
Gunilla Nordin	....	unit nurse
Kerstin Nordlund	....	accounts payable
Pia Odell	....	payroll accountant
Anders Palmblad	....	security
Massimo Perla	....	animal handler
Henrik Perälä	....	location security
Luigi Pinto	....	production assistant
Erika Ranbrandt	....	catering assistant
Johan Ranbrandt	....	location assistant
Max Rangner	....	accounting assistant
Tuulikki Retsler	....	production assistant
Raffaella Ridolfi	....	location manager
Vincenzo Rosa	....	additional production assistant
Stefano Ruggeri	....	additional production assistant
Jenny Sandström	....	office runner
Cristiano Sebastianelli	....	assistant production accountant
Camilla Sergenti Castellani	....	travel and accomodations coordinator
Arianna Sgreecia	....	stand-in/photo double
Robert Singleton	....	traffic blocker
Massimiliano Sisti	....	assistant accountant
Anna Sivertsson	....	production assistant
Erik Skånmyr	....	production assistant
Helena Stenberg	....	unit publicist: Sweden
Marek Szpojankowski	....	chef
Mari-Louise Albinsson Szpojankowski	....	craft service
Vincenzo Testa	....	location manager
Ben Urquhart	....	post production executive
Marc Van Osdale	....	intern
Anna Westberg	....	credit control officer
Olivia Zampi	....	assistant: Jill Green
René Zuber	....	location manager

Production Companies

• Focus Features
• Goldcrest Post Production London (post-production)
• Greenlit Rights
• Smokehouse Pictures (as Smokehouse)
• This Is That Productions

Distributors

• Alliance Films (2010) (Canada) (theatrical)
• Ascot Elite Entertainment Group (2010) (Switzerland) (theatrical)
• Benelux Film Distributors (2010) (Belgium) (theatrical)
• Benelux Film Distributors (2010) (Netherlands) (theatrical)
• Focus Entertainment (2010) (USA) (theatrical)
• Focus Features (2010) (USA) (theatrical)
• Kadokawa Pictures (2011) (Japan) (theatrical)
• Mars Distribution (2010) (France) (theatrical)
• Odeon (2010) (Greece) (theatrical)
• Shaw Organisation (2010) (Singapore) (theatrical)
• Svensk Filmindustri (SF) (2010) (Sweden) (theatrical)
• TOBIS Film (2010) (Germany) (theatrical)
• United International Pictures (UIP) (2010) (Argentina) (theatrical)
• Universal Pictures International (UPI) (2010) (Australia) (theatrical)
• Universal Pictures International (UPI) (2010) (Brazil) (theatrical)
• Universal Pictures International (UPI) (2010) (UK) (theatrical)
• Universal Pictures International (UPI) (2010) (Ireland) (theatrical)
• Viva International Pictures (2010) (Philippines) (theatrical)
• Argentina Video Home (2011) (Argentina) (DVD)
• Argentina Video Home (2011) (Argentina) (DVD) (Blu-ray)
• CatchPlay (2010) (Taiwan) (all media)
• D Productions (2010) (Turkey) (all media)
• De Volkskrant (2011) (Netherlands) (DVD) (promo version)
• EcoFilmes (2010) (Portugal) (all media)
• FS Film Oy (2010) (Finland) (all media)
• Film1 (2011) (Netherlands) (TV) (limited)
• IPA Asia Pacific (2010) (Thailand) (all media)
• Panorama Distributions (2011) (Hong Kong) (DVD)
• Panorama Distributions (2011) (Hong Kong) (DVD) (Blu-ray)
• Paradise Group (2010) (Russia) (all media)
• Prorom Media-Trade (2010) (Hungary) (all media)
• Prorom Media-Trade (2010) (Romania) (all media)
• SF Home Entertainment (2010) (Sweden) (DVD)
• SF Home Entertainment (2010) (Sweden) (DVD) (Blu-ray)
• Universal Studios Home Entertainment (2010) (USA) (DVD)
• Universal Studios Home Entertainment (2010) (USA) (DVD) (Blu-ray)
• Video Film Express (2011) (Netherlands) (DVD)
• Video Film Express (2011) (Netherlands) (DVD) (Blu-ray)

Special Effects

• Modus Fx (visual effects) (as Modus)
• Panorama film & teatereffekter

Other Companies

• AGM Productions  French dubbing
• Abbey Road Studios  score recorded and mixed at
• Alf Service  lighting balloons service
• Aslan Charles Kousetta  legal services for Greenlit Rights
• Cleared By Ashley  clearance services
• Deluxe Italia  dailies and high definition telecine
• Dolby Laboratories  sound mix
• Dragoni Film Supplies  expendables supplier
• Fatts  post production script services
• Film Production Consultants  production service
• Goldcrest Post Production London  sound post-production
• Intelligent Media  international monitoring agency
• Karen Fried & Associates  publicity
• London Session Orchestra, The  orchestra (uncredited)
• M.P. Dog-Star  animal handler (as MP Dog Star)
• Maryloys Catering  craft service
• Panalight  camera equipment provided by
• Pepper Sound  ADR recording facility
• Pivotal Post  Avid HD Editing Equipment Provided By
• Poste Italiane Spa  special thanks
• Sanfellegrino  special thanks
• Technicolor Creative Services  digital intermediate (as Technicolor Creative Services London)
• Technicolor  post-production
• Tom Hingston Studio  title design

Also Known As:

"Last Target" - Japan (English title) (imdb display title)

MPAA:

Rated R for violence, sexual content and nudity

Runtime:

105 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English | Italian

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

2.35 : 1

Sound Mix:

Dolby Digital | DTS

Certification:

USA:R (certificate #46049) | Malaysia:18 (censored version) | UK:15 | Canada:14A (Ontario) | Germany:12 | Australia:MA | Canada:13+ (Quebec) | Philippines:R-13 (MTRCB) | Norway:15 | Sweden:15 | Singapore:R21 | Switzerland:14 (canton of Geneva) | Switzerland:14 (canton of Vaud) | Ireland:15A | Argentina:16 | Portugal:M/12 | South Korea:18 | Japan:PG12 | Italy:T

Filming Locations:

Castel del Monte, L'Aquila, Abruzzo, Italy

Company:

Focus Features

Trivia:

Mathilde's suitcase code is 014 - literally double 07.

Goofs:

Revealing mistakes: Apart from the news article in the newspaper clipping being written in very bad Swedish, the body of the text is about a suicide bomber being caught on a tram in Gothenburg, Sweden.

Quotes:

[first lines]
Ingrid:You know, I thought I maybe drive into town. You want something?
Jack:No.

Movie Connections:

Featured in "Maltin on Movies: The American (#1.5)" (2010)

Soundtrack:

NEL GIARDINO DELL'AMORE

A victim of bad marketing

As an action thriller, I'd give this film maybe a 2/10. But that is not what it was intended to be. The ads and marketing of the film falsely suggest this is an action film, and that is a great disservice both to the film and to the audience. I suspect that the film's rating would be higher had the marketing been honest. It is almost the opposite of action: it's a quiet, introspective film. I didn't expect a thriller and so I wasn't disappointed.

As usual in this kind of film, there is not a lot of backstory. We never find out exactly where Jack came from, how he found his job, why he could take such a job, etc. But that's not really the point. We never really find out much about the back story on the other characters, either. I think we actually found out more about the priest.

I enjoyed the film in about the same way I would enjoy a short story, which focuses on a few points rather than furnishing a history and full explanation.