Just when things are looking grim in terms of finding a movie that's appropriate for date night, along comes
well
Date Night. Starring Steve Carell and Tina Fey, this is a harmless little slice of filmmaking that also happens to be very funny. I wouldn't go so far as to call it a riotous laugh fest, but it does have its fair share of moments that allow Carell and Fey to flex their comedic knowhow within a scenario that many people can relate to.
Here's the skinny: Phil Foster (Carell) and his wife Claire (Fey) have hit a standstill in their marriage. Their children consume all of their time, and a pair of their closest friends have decided to split because of a set of marital circumstances that are eerily reminiscent of their own. Scared that he and Claire will suffer a similar fate, Phil decides to ditch their usual date night at a local steakhouse for a night out in New York. He's planned to take Claire to an uppity seafood joint she's recently read about—the only problem is that you have to make a reservation a month ahead of time in order to claim a table. Feeding on the spontaneity promised by their excursion from the typical, Phil decides to steal a reservation held by a pair referred to as "the Triplehorns." Come to find out, the Triplehorns are in it deep with a NYC mob boss. Two goons who are on the hunt for the couple who's absent from the restaurant find Phil and Claire, and naturally assume that they are, in fact, the Triplehorns. What ensues is a misadventure featuring a stolen Audi, a surprisingly cavalier cab driver, and a Civil War era pistol.
What makes Date Night a memorable (though ultimately inconsequential) movie are its often poignant and hilarious observations about marriage. These are sporadic and only probe the surface of typical spousal interaction, but they are funny, as are several scenes that find our protagonists fulfilling their "fish out of water" roles in the most extreme situations imaginable. It's also worth noting that Fey and Carell have a tangible comic chemistry, and their more tender moments often register as genuine.
That doesn't mean Date Night is a masterpiece of depth and imagination, though. The momentum the movie builds early on tapers somewhat in the final act, and not all of the gags are as funny as they think they are (with one or two dragging on much longer than they should). There's also the "big revelation" regarding the previously mentioned gangster and those he associates with, which isn't nearly as big a payoff as it should've been.
As the name would imply, this is a movie that's great for a relaxed night out with that significant other. The only problem: it leaves you wanting a little more from its actors and writers. This suggests, perhaps, that a Date Night 2 is in order, as Phil and Claire Foster are a couple that audiences will likely want to see treated to a story that's a tad more well developed.
Here's the skinny: Phil Foster (Carell) and his wife Claire (Fey) have hit a standstill in their marriage. Their children consume all of their time, and a pair of their closest friends have decided to split because of a set of marital circumstances that are eerily reminiscent of their own. Scared that he and Claire will suffer a similar fate, Phil decides to ditch their usual date night at a local steakhouse for a night out in New York. He's planned to take Claire to an uppity seafood joint she's recently read about—the only problem is that you have to make a reservation a month ahead of time in order to claim a table. Feeding on the spontaneity promised by their excursion from the typical, Phil decides to steal a reservation held by a pair referred to as "the Triplehorns." Come to find out, the Triplehorns are in it deep with a NYC mob boss. Two goons who are on the hunt for the couple who's absent from the restaurant find Phil and Claire, and naturally assume that they are, in fact, the Triplehorns. What ensues is a misadventure featuring a stolen Audi, a surprisingly cavalier cab driver, and a Civil War era pistol.
What makes Date Night a memorable (though ultimately inconsequential) movie are its often poignant and hilarious observations about marriage. These are sporadic and only probe the surface of typical spousal interaction, but they are funny, as are several scenes that find our protagonists fulfilling their "fish out of water" roles in the most extreme situations imaginable. It's also worth noting that Fey and Carell have a tangible comic chemistry, and their more tender moments often register as genuine.
That doesn't mean Date Night is a masterpiece of depth and imagination, though. The momentum the movie builds early on tapers somewhat in the final act, and not all of the gags are as funny as they think they are (with one or two dragging on much longer than they should). There's also the "big revelation" regarding the previously mentioned gangster and those he associates with, which isn't nearly as big a payoff as it should've been.
As the name would imply, this is a movie that's great for a relaxed night out with that significant other. The only problem: it leaves you wanting a little more from its actors and writers. This suggests, perhaps, that a Date Night 2 is in order, as Phil and Claire Foster are a couple that audiences will likely want to see treated to a story that's a tad more well developed.