Steve Carell, Tina Fey, Mark Wahlberg |
REVIEWED BY SARA VILKOMERSON
COMEDY
For fans of The Office and 30 Rock-and if you aren't, why in the name of Michael Scott and Liz Lemon not?-Date Night showcases a divine comedy coupling: a brilliantly matched Fey and Carell as a New Jersey couple looking to jump-start their sleepy marriage with a night out in New York City. The script opts for madcap humor over the kind of biting wit that both comics pull off so well. But Carell and Fey, whose characters are ensnared in a case of mistaken identity, can wring laughs even out of the film's broad setups. Look for a funny spot by Mark Wahlberg, along with knowing humor about the kind of unsexy inertia that strikes every married couple sooner or later. Mostly, the comic crackle between Fey and Carell makes them the ultimate double date.
The Greatest
Carey Mulligan, Pierce Brosnan, Susan Sarandon | R |
DRAMA
Bring tissues to this one-many, many tissues. After a couple (Sarandon and Brosnan) are shattered by the death of their son, they learn that the woman (An Education's Mulligan) who survived the fatal car crash is pregnant with their grandchild. In the tradition of Ordinary People, this movie poignantly portrays the complex process of grieving and the different ways a family is made.
Tyler Perry's Why Did I Get Married Too?
Tyler Perry, Janet Jackson, Jill Scott | PG-13 |
DRAMA
Four couples from the original Married return for an island-retreat getaway, only to find they can't escape their insecurities and infidelities. The bickering lasts all the way home, where the melodramatic script turns the ill-equipped Jackson into a histrionic harpy and concludes with remarkable tidiness. Blessedly, film vets Louis Gossett Jr. and Cicely Tyson, in small but lovely roles, give Married the heart and hopefulness the other couples lack.
>Before Date Night, these duos dealt with romance gone wrong
WHEN HARRY MET SALLY
On a double date, Billy Crystal and Meg Ryan watch their partners fall for each other.
ALONG CAME POLLY
Hey, Jennifer Aniston: forcing weak-stomached Ben Stiller to eat spicy food? Bad, bad idea.
HITCH
Matchmaker Will Smith finds The One (Eva Mendes)—but a food allergy turns his head into a Macy's parade float.
>She's regal, slinky and really good at playing bad. Who better than Angelina Jolie to play Sleeping Beauty's evil godmother Maleficent? Jolie is in talks to star in a live-action version of the tale, told from the villainess' point of view. Wicked!
>• This sleek overhaul of the 1981 camp classic (remember Harry Hamlin in a loincloth?) keeps just enough hammy fun.
1. IT'S CHEESY ...
Fans of the original will dig the new Olympians (Liam Neeson, Ralph Fiennes), kitted out with glam-rock locks and guyliner.
2. ... BUT NOT TOO CHEESY
Perseus (Sam Worthington) and his quest crew are all business as they battle giant scorpions, get stoned by Medusa and prepare to face the super-squid Kraken.
3. IT'S BETTER IN 2-D
Clash wasn't shot in 3-D, so why pay extra for it? Besides, the action's easier to follow when it's not coming at you.
>• It's all relative in the new drama La Mission: Benjamin Bratt, 46, costars with his wife, Talisa Soto Bratt, 43, and his brother Peter, 47, who directed from his own script. Says Peter: "It was a family affair."
Peter's 13 months older and directs you in the film. Has he always been the leader?
BENJAMIN
When we were kids, I was known as Re-Pete or Little Pete.
PETER
When he became famous, I became Benjamin Bratt's brother! (laughs)
Why tell the story of a dad struggling with a gay son in San Francisco's Mission District?
PETER
Homosexuality is a taboo subject in Latino neighborhoods. We wanted to shine a light on something.
BENJAMIN
It's a story of a man who is impervious to change, living in one of the most progressive liberal cities in the world.
What was the vibe shooting in the Mission District?
BENJAMIN
It's a place that's been our backyard since we were born. It was very much like a block party.
PETER
A lot of friends we grew up with did cameos.
Benjamin, how was working with your wife?
BENJAMIN
Incredible. The only difficulty was that she was playing someone else's wife!
>Before Date Night, these duos dealt with romance gone wrong
WHEN HARRY MET SALLY
On a double date, Billy Crystal and Meg Ryan watch their partners fall for each other.
ALONG CAME POLLY
Hey, Jennifer Aniston: forcing weak-stomached Ben Stiller to eat spicy food? Bad, bad idea.
HITCH
Matchmaker Will Smith finds The One (Eva Mendes)—but a food allergy turns his head into a Macy's parade float.
>She's regal, slinky and really good at playing bad. Who better than Angelina Jolie to play Sleeping Beauty's evil godmother Maleficent? Jolie is in talks to star in a live-action version of the tale, told from the villainess' point of view. Wicked!
>• This sleek overhaul of the 1981 camp classic (remember Harry Hamlin in a loincloth?) keeps just enough hammy fun.
1. IT'S CHEESY ...
Fans of the original will dig the new Olympians (Liam Neeson, Ralph Fiennes), kitted out with glam-rock locks and guyliner.
2. ... BUT NOT TOO CHEESY
Perseus (Sam Worthington) and his quest crew are all business as they battle giant scorpions, get stoned by Medusa and prepare to face the super-squid Kraken.
3. IT'S BETTER IN 2-D
Clash wasn't shot in 3-D, so why pay extra for it? Besides, the action's easier to follow when it's not coming at you.
>• It's all relative in the new drama La Mission: Benjamin Bratt, 46, costars with his wife, Talisa Soto Bratt, 43, and his brother Peter, 47, who directed from his own script. Says Peter: "It was a family affair."
Peter's 13 months older and directs you in the film. Has he always been the leader?
BENJAMIN
When we were kids, I was known as Re-Pete or Little Pete.
PETER
When he became famous, I became Benjamin Bratt's brother! [laughs]
Why tell the story of a dad struggling with a gay son in San Francisco's Mission District?
PETER
Homosexuality is a taboo subject in Latino neighborhoods. We wanted to shine a light on something.
BENJAMIN
It's a story of a man who is impervious to change, living in one of the most progressive liberal cities in the world.
What was the vibe shooting in the Mission District?
BENJAMIN
It's a place that's been our backyard since we were born. It was very much like a block party.
PETER
A lot of friends we grew up with did cameos.
Benjamin, how was working with your wife?
BENJAMIN
Incredible. The only difficulty was that she was playing someone else's wife!
