Date Movie: The American

Don't let those Rockport slip-ons fool you.

This isn't a review of the new movie starring George Clooney -- not really.  Rather, it's about the possibilities The American affords two people on a date.

The film's anchor is its tension.  By the time the first shot goes off you'll have forgotten to tighten up so you won't jump.  After that every scene, every word, every camera shot winding around a corner will foreshadow menace and danger.

Hold on to your man.

There's a heavy dose of romance in The American -- just in different shades.  Clooney's first relationship, initially given the Nicholas Sparks treatment, ends so coldly and abruptly that you'll be thoroughly discombobulated from there on out.

Lying low in a small Italian village that time forgot, Clooney's character -- Edward, Jack or "Mr. Butterfly" depending on who he's talking to -- is drawn to two women he can't and probably shouldn't trust, a fellow assassin who's commissioned his help in building the perfect weapon and a local prostitute who's prepared to let things get personal.

I'll leave the rest for the date but this movie has everything.  And it's quiet.  It's a slow-paced movie that won't have you on the edge of your seat like, say, Resident Evil: Afterlife 3D, so even in the midst of mounting suspense you and your date can relax and feel each other up in the dark.

Or just hold hands to calm the tension.  Save it for later.