The Americanis a 2010 American thriller film directed by Anton Corbijn and starring George Clooney , Thekla Reuten , Violante Placido , Irina Björklund , and Paolo Bonacelli .It is an adaptation of the 1990 novelA Very Private Gentlemanby Martin Booth . The film opened on September 1, 2010.

Jack ( George Clooney ), a gunsmith, and his lover Ingrid ( Irina Björklund ) are relaxing in a remote cabin in Sweden . While walking, they are attacked by a sniper. Jack kills the sniper and then shoots Ingrid in the back of the head as she leaves to call the police, and shoots and kills another armed man on a nearby road, stealing his car. He then flees to Rome and contacts a "business associate" named Pavel ( Johan Leysen ). Pavel insists that Jack cannot stay in Rome, sends him to Castelvecchio (a small town in the mountains of Abruzzo ) and tells him "Don't make any friends, Jack." Jack becomes nervous, and, disposing of the cell phone which Pavel had given him, goes to nearby Castel del Monte instead.

While in Abruzzo, Jack(now going by the name Edward and posing as a photographer) contacts Pavel, who sets him up with another job. He meets with a woman, Mathilde ( Thekla Reuten ), who wants him to build a custom-designed sniper rifle for an assassination. He also begins patronizing a prostitute, Clara ( Violante Placido ) and they begin a relationship separate from her business duties. Jack meets with Mathilde to test the weapon, based on a Ruger Mini-14 (referred to in the film as an M14). Mathilde is impressed by the craftsmanship, but asks that Jack make a few more adjustments. Later, Jack realizes that he is being followed by an assassin from Sweden, whom he kills.

Jack talks to Pavel one last time, asking how the Swedes have possibly found him. Jack agrees to deliver the weapon to Mathilde as his last job, but at the last moment he reopens the briefcase and modifies the rifle. At the drop-off, Jack becomes suspicious that Mathilde plans to kill him. Before anything can happen, a busload of school children arrives, and the two separate. While driving away, Mathilde is contacted by Pavel, who asks if she has killed Jack. She informs him she has not, but insists that she is following Jack and will kill him.

In town, Clara meet Jack in the crowd at a local religious procession. He asks her to go away with him and she agrees. Mathilde attempts to assassinate Jack from a nearby rooftop, but the rifle misfires and explodes in her face due to Jack's adjustments. Seeing her fall from the roof, Jack tells Clara to go to a river where they previously picnicked and wait for him. He runs to Mathilde, who is dying on the pavement, and discovers she works for Pavel, the same as Jack does.

As Jack goes to meet Clara, he notices that Pavel is following him. They exchange gunfire, and Pavel is killed. Jack realizes he has been shot in the abdomen, but drives to meet Clara at the river. As Jack arrives at the picnic spot and sees Clara, he collapses. The film ends as Clara screams and runs to the car.