Let’s face it. When Tina Fey and Steve Carell come together for a movie, you’re going to see it regardless of what we say. However, for better enjoyment it may be a good idea to lower your expectations.
Fey and Carell play Claire and Phil Foster, a suburban couple who love each other but find that their marriage is becoming monotonous. One evening, they go on a date at a fancy restaurant in New York City to restore excitement and spontaneity into their lives. In order to get a table, they end up stealing another couple’s reservation, and, in a case of mistaken identity reminiscent of North By Northwest, become caught up in a bizarre case of blackmail, hit men and corrupt politicians.
It’s clear from the start that neither Fey nor Carell penned the flick. Instead of the brilliant comedic nuances we’ve come to expect from these performers, the plot and humor of Date Night are disappointingly conventional. Situations are contrived simply for the benefit of a cheap laugh, and the crazy action sequences seem out of place. In fact, if Fey and Carell weren’t in the film, it probably would have been a disaster on a par with director Shawn Levy’s earlier movies (The Pink Panther remake still makes us cringe).
But, they are in it, and that makes all the difference. Both actors demonstrate their innate gifts, transforming an average script into a truly enjoyable experience. The film is at its best not during slapstick chase scenes, but in moments when the actors are given time to play off of one another. Their timing is flawless, their on-screen chemistry infectious. In fact, Fey and Carell make the Fosters so likeable and believable that you can’t help but root for them.
In the end, this may not be the comedic masterpiece we were expecting, but it is still a lot of fun. And with cameos by James Franco and Mark Wahlberg thrown in, how can it not be?
3 Stars
Directed by: Shawn Levy
Starring: Steve Carell, Tina Fey, Mark Wahlberg
Rated PG-13, 88 min.
