THE NIGHT WE NEVER MET

THE NIGHT WE NEVER MET is a quirky romantic comedy focused on the adulterous behavior and loose sexual morality of its three central characters. Set in Manhattan, the story follows the lives of three young people who share an apartment. The rules allow each to spend two nights a week in the apartment. Sam (Matthew Broderick) is a sensitive cheese shop clerk who reads, cooks and mourns the loss of his ex-girlfriend. Ellen is a married dental hygienist who paints. The mastermind is Brian, a macho stockbroker who uses the apartment as a hideout from his wealthy fiance and as a place to party. Director/screenwriter Warren Leight attempts to spice the film up by having Ellen mistakenly have an affair with the immature Brian (who she mistakes for Sam). Meanwhile, Ellen’s faithful husband is left out in the cold, and, when he finds out about her affair, his world is shattered. In the end, Sam and Ellen walk into oblivion hand in hand.

The key problem with this film is its rejection of sanctified love (marriage) in favor of romantic love (symbolized here by sexual lust). Thus, THE NIGHT WE NEVER MET is a forgettable film with few redeeming qualities, and it’s hard to recommend a story that sanctifies immorality while condemning traditional values, no matter how witty or slick the filmmaking is. THE NIGHT WE NEVER MET won’t illuminate anyone’s life, but might cause a few lonely people to wander astray.