Date Night (2010)

So then, putting away falsehood, let all of
us speak the truth to our neighbors, for we
are members of one another.
Ephesians 4:25

Tina Fey and Steve Carell are fun to watch as Phil and Claire Foster in this cautionary tale ( “Never steal someone else’s reservation at a fancy restaurant!” ) about a New Jersey couple trying to recapture some romance in their marriage when they learn that their friends are getting a divorce. They learn all too well that Paul’s admonition is the best policy, and that falsehood can have dire consequences. Deciding to eat at a fancy restaurant in Manhattan, they discover that it is full, it being a Friday night. The snooty deskman is not about to accommodate them. They go to the bar, and when the name of a party is called out and nobody responds, Phil jumps up to claim that he and Claire are the party.

Phil’s lie leads to a case of mistaken identity when two goons show up at their table demanding that the couple return a stolen zip drive to their gangster boss. They are chased all over Manhattan, afraid to trust the police when they see at a precinct station that the two goons are themselves policemen. They must use all their wits and the help of a wealthy client Claire had once known in her real estate business. A combination of romance and madcap chase, the film is marred by a vulgar scene in a sex club. Despite this, it provides an enjoyable hour and a half romp for a couple wanting its own date night. Just make sure that you make reservations for dinner in advance, and if you don’t, go somewhere else—don’t lie about it.