Q: What is the test of a good comedy film?
A: One, it should make you laugh while it’s on.
Two, it should continue to remind you of the laughter and gags, hours after you've seen it.
Three, it should make you want to watch it again and again.

Date Night does well on all three counts. Starring the very likable pair of Steve Carell and Tina Fey - both have gained a reputation in all things comedy - and directed by Shawn Levy (Just Married, Big Fat Liar, Night at the Museum).

There's also hilarious special appearance by Mark Wahlberg (topless in the film, throughout). The scene when the Fosters land up at his apartment seeking help, continues to make me laugh. I can't help smiling when I remember the way Carrell, Fey and Wahlberg perform that scene. I'm going to take a pause here, to finish laughing. I dare say that Date Night got me laughing a lot more than The Hangover did. I'm quoting Hangover specifically because for many, that films ranks as one of the best comedies from Hollywood.

In Date Night, the humour works a lot more because of the fabulous comic timing between the actors - Carrell and Fey are both exceptionally gifted, not just as actors but incredible voice artists (Don't miss ‘the gag reel’ on the DVD). They also enact the bored suburban couple look perfectly in the first few minutes of the film, which is what makes us love them a lot more. The scene where they discuss the status of their married life something that might get married couples look at each other and smile.

In fact, couples - both married and unmarried - will especially identify with the Fosters. I loved those scenes where they're at a restaurant and play a guessing game of what stage of relationship couples on other tables may be passing through.

The gags and action sort of drag towards the end, and the pole dancing scene was a little extreme, in my view. Since you're watching it on DVD, and I suspect your family members are going to be around, it might make you cringe in your seat. But everything happens for a reason, as do those scenes. Just an indication that despite being in the 'screwball comedy' genre, Date Night manages to be a story about a couple rather than a mere comedy of errors. Try this film on a girl's night out or even on a stag night. Good fun!

Don't miss the bloopers and special features on the DVD. There’s a video which profiles one entire schedule in the making of the film, where you learn that the cast and crew are habituated to sleep during the day, since all the shoots happen at night. Director Shawn Levy confidently takes you through each step and the amount of detailing and precision that goes behind setting up each scene, is mind-boggling. Ultimately, you realise that in films that are not verbose, acting is such a small part of the entire film-making process.

This article is by guest author Arcopol Chaudhuri. Arcopol Chaudhuri is a senior social media architect at a Mumbai-based digital agency. He tweets as @arcopolc