“Date Night,” directed by Shawn Levy, seems like more than movie fans could ask for. The film teams NBC’s sitcom king and queen Steve Carell and Tina Fey in an action comedy pairing the engaging comics at the hip. And, for a while, the film is mature enough to let their singular skills click. But once The Formula kicks in – loud car chases, gun fights and other tired movie devices, this “Date” loses its charm.
The story begins with surprising restraint for a mainstream comedy. No wacky set pieces. No contrived slapstick meant to kick-start our funny bones.
Phil and Claire (Carell and Fey) are planning a night out on the town, but they’re almost too exhausted to leave their house. News of two of their best friend’s separation finally forces them off the couch. They don’t want to join them in divorce court.
But their fancy dinner plans hit a snag when the snooty maitre‘d says all the tables are taken. So when a hostess yells out, “Tripplehorns, table for two,” they pounce.
That moment of spontaneity dooms their evening. A pair of crooked cops (Common, Jimmi Simpson) want the real Tripplehorns to cough up a secret flash drive, and now the Fosters must try to stay one step ahead of them while sorting out their marriage woes.
“Date Night” takes care to show how challenging even a happy marriage can be. Those early scenes, including a sharp sequence in which Phil and Claire’s nighttime rituals kill any chance at intimacy, is a smart snapshot of marriage too rarely seen on screen.
Once the mistaken identity kicks in, the laughs become more obvious, but also broader in execution. And with Fey and Carell hitting all their familiar tics, that’s hardly a criticism. But the more complicated the mistaken identity story becomes - the more strained the comic set pieces.
“Date Night” also drags in its final reel, even though it clocks in at around 90 minutes. A few sequences, like when the Fosters are forced to concoct a sexy dance sequence to please a slimy politician, should have been dealt with via a comically abbreviated montage sequence. Instead, the gag goes on and on, and it becomes clear the screenplay has run out of gas.
The supporting players add more than a touch of class to the film, including Kristen Wiig as a happily liberated divorcee to William Fichtner hamming it up as a blowhard politician. Mark Wahlberg appears as an old client of Claire’s who just so happens to have a flotilla of spare cars and more high tech spy gadget than 007 at his disposal.
The chemistry between Carell and Fey clicks on a comedic level, but the screenplay doesn’t let them breathe as an actual couple. There’s a lack of tension – and joy – in their scenes together, something that’s actually visible during the end credit outtakes.
“Date Night” ultimately hints at the potential of the Fey-Carell combo, but it can’t help but fall into formulaic action rather than focus on its dynamic duo.
DIRECTOR: Shawn Levy SCREENWRITER: Josh Klausner PRODUCERS: Shawn Levy, Tom McNuity CAST: Steve Carell, Tina Fey, Mark Wahlberg, Taraji P. Henson, Jimmi Simpson, Common, William Fichtner, Kristen Wiig, Mark Ruffalo, James Franco MPAA RATING: PG-13
Christian Toto is a Denver-based arts reporter, print and radio film critic and movie blogger (www.whatwouldtotowatch.com)
