Dan in Real Life
Directed by:
Peter HedgesCinematography:
Lawrence SherComposer:
Sondre LercheCast:
Steve Carell, Juliette Binoche, Dane Cook, Alison Pill, Britt Robertson, Marlene Lawston, Dianne Wiest, John Mahoney, Norbert Leo Butz, Amy Ryan, Jessica Hecht (more)VOD (3)
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Early in Peter Hedges’s “Dan in Real Life,” the title character, at a bookstore, meets the woman he will fall in love with. Mistaking him for an employee, she breathlessly tries to describe the kind of book she’s looking for. (He responds by gathering up a random assortment of volumes that includes the poems of Emily Dickinson, “Anna Karenina” and “Everybody Poops.”) “I want something funny,” she says. “But not laugh-out-loud funny. And definitely not making-fun-of-people funny. I want something human funny.” It does not take long to recognize this as a declaration of the film’s own intentions. Its moral is “expect to be surprised,” and the surprise is how frequently it succeeds. “Dan in Real Life” is neither wildly farcical nor mockingly cruel, but rather, for the most part, winningly gentle and observant. (official distributor synopsis)
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Reviews (7)
An unexpectedly excellent comedy with a great cast (Dane Cook, Juliette Binoche). For perhaps the first time I didn't mind Steve Carell either. The brisk pace added to the lightness of the film. I have to admit that I had a really good time. The family atmosphere literally absorbed me. Except for a few minor clichés, it was a relaxing film. 4 stars.
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Too bad Peter Hedges isn't as good a director as he is a writer. The likeable story is well acted, realistic, and funny, but fizzles out rather to nothing towards the end. As a screenwriter, though, Hedges has a lot to offer. It just needs to be made by someone more experienced next time.
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And once again Steve Carell, how I love him. That means he acts without being pretentious. Or at least not mostly. With Juliette Binoche, they have perfect chemistry between them. She is incredible when she gets jealous. A beautiful story that life could truly write. It is simple and yet so beautifully complicated. But don't we all experience this? And if not truly, at least in our fantasies. Surprisingly, the ending doesn't sound so awkward, although it probably would in other movies. This film evokes pleasant feelings, mostly, and I am very glad for that.
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An excellent film that both makes you laugh and caresses, and whose intelligent script doesn't abuse the romantic plot for emotional blackmail, which is definitely one of the film's biggest plus points. A great Steve Carell, a charming Juliette Binoche, three daughters, none of whom are unsympathetic or otherwise annoying... Well, now I've seen what can happen during a simple family reunion.
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I have the same problem with this film as with Love Actually. Both films tug at your heartstrings, both are full of annoying clichés, but for reasons unknown to me, they make me suppress my innate cynicism. If only the kids in the film hadn’t been so annoying all the time (especially the heart-to-heart with the father just before the end was enough to make me puke), I might have even thrown in a fifth star. Mainly because it’s the first time I've realized Steve Carell can do better than just comedy (sometimes of questionable quality).
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