I think this movie would have been SO much better had they recast Juliette Binoche with somebody else (anybody else actually!) like Monica Potter for instance. I never bought Ms. Binoche on any level in this film and the entire family's total gushing over her was so unbelievable. Steve Carell's so-called chemistry with her was painful to watch. But the setting was beautiful!
August 30, 2008I was pleasantly surprised by "Dan in Real Life," a bittersweet romantic comedy that features Steve Carell in a role that's very much out of his element. Carell plays Dan Burns, a widowed newspaper columnist raising three daughters. It's been four years since Dan's wife passed away, and he never thought he'd find love again. When Dan ducks out of a family reunion in Rhode Island and ends up in a local bookstore, he meets a charming woman named Marie (Juliette Binoche). Dan is amazed and excited by the fact that he's finally interested in a woman, until he discovers that Marie recently started dating his brother, Mitch (Dane Cook). The family vacation becomes incredibly strained when Marie shows up to join the party, and she and Dan fight to try to keep their budding attraction to each other a secret.
Overall, this is a cute little movie. It's a story about finding love, but it also deals with the strained relationships between parents and their children, and stresses the intense bonds of family in general. I've never been a big fan of Carell's, but this film demonstrated his versatility as an actor and is definitely the best thing I've seen him in so far. If you're in the mood for a cute, feel-good little movie, this is a great one for you.
August 30, 2008 |  | ABOVE AVERAGE STEVE CARELL GIVES A WINNING PERFORMANCE! 3 1/2 STARS |  |
'Dan In Real Life' is an above average romantic comedy. Steve Carell is perfectly cast as a lovable father of three growing daughters, who loses his wife and just can't seem to "get back into the dating world". By chance he meets someone special, but there's a problem, which I do not want to give away. It's much better to see it for yourself. I did enjoy this film as it deals with some interesting family issue, but I thought Dane Cook was a little out of his league, his performance isn't bad, but I just can't see him as anything, but a comedian. I watched this on a HD channel, so I do not know anything about the DVD features or quality.
August 28, 2008This is one of the movies that I had to be dragged to in order to see. I normally don't like Steve Carrell's comedy and I thought the premise sounded stupid and predictable. Within ten minutes, I was completely captivated. I have watched this film three times now and each time, I feel like I am somehow watching a novel. As a writer, I responded on such a guttural level. Although there are a couple scenes that seem a touch over the top, the movie does an excellent job of capturing the humanity and fullness of life of each of its characters in a way that is normally only possible in literature, given the time restraint of film. Dan in Real Life allows you to experience the sadness, pain, and insanity of life in a way that lets you see the beauty of it all and leaves with an overwhelming sense of contentment and hope.
August 26, 2008Dan in Real Life is one of the rare movies that will be a keeper for me. In fact, I have seen it 5 times and I'm sure more will follow. The scenery, cast of characters was fabulous. I found the moving both funny and touching, and have told everyone not to miss this one.
August 19, 2008More reviews at Amazon.com ...
(119 reviews)
