Movie Notes: Dan In Real Life

August 4th, 2008

= 3 stars

Starring Steve Carell, Juliette Binoche, Dane Cook
Directed by Peter Hedges

Synopsis

Writer / widower Dan (Steve Carell) is raising three daughters and hasn’t been on a date in years. While at a family getaway to Rhode Island, he meets the amazing Marie, (Juliette Binoche) who immediately piques his interest. Unfortunately, she’s the new girlfriend of Dan’s younger brother Mitch (Dane Cook).

The Good

• Steve Carrell does an excellent job with both comedy and light drama. I laughed pretty hard when he gets pissed at his brother and stabs a pie, and will admit to getting a bit weepy during a rather odd version of Let My Love Open The Door, which fronts an emotional vulnerability.
• Great family feel, capturing the goofy ways of the familial gathering.
• Emily Blunt has a small but highly amusing role as Dr. Ruthie “Pigface” Draper (hilarious name) who goads Dan into a competitive steamy dance-a-thon at its most pathetic. Shame that character wasn’t featured more.

The Bad

• Marie (Juliette Binoche) is a weak character — purely by circumstance of the set-up, she comes off as rather confused, shifting between two men in little time. The usually excellent Binoche isn’t given any material worthy of her talents. Perhaps a more flighty, ridiculous actress would have been preferable.
• Yet another flick where the two people who end up together don’t really feel like they should — the plot forces them to be a couple. The last third of the flick is pretty unbelievable. I think a brother or two would have protested considerably more.

Conclusion

Despite some issues with the plot and Marie as a love interest, Dan In Real Life is a decent rental. Steve Carrel is awesome and based on what he does here, could easily continue with comedy or take the leap into straight-ahead drama.

IMDB: Dan In Real Life
Wikipedia: Dan In Real Life
Rotten Tomatoes: Dan In Real Life