Full Movie Reviews
Rating of
2/4
Expected So Much More ...
writeandleft - wrote on 10/25/2008
I've been a Steve Carell for some time now, but always felt his talents are an actor were pretty limited. With Dan in Real Life, I've changed my mind - it's Steve Carell's best work to date, in a film that has all the components for a good romantic comedy ... and yet somehow, ultimately, comes up a bit short.
Dan Burns (Carell) is a widower of four years, with three daughters, who writes a popular local newspaper column that emphasizes family values and raising kids in the proper manner. Dan in the newspaper has it all together, but Dan in real life is dealing with the all-too-real frustrations of pre-teen, tween, and teenage daughters. He's a good parent, a strict parent, a play-by-the-rules kind of guy; one who'se not allowed himself to open up much in the four years since his beloved …
Rating of
3/4
Unexpected Delight
Chris Hadges - wrote on 07/05/2008
This was good. Many people stereotype Steve Carell as the goofball that can be seen in Anchorman, 40 Year Old Virgin, Get Smart, Evan Almighty, or The Office..But in Dan In Real Life Carell displays one of his most emotional performances. I rented this movies expecting to see a lot of goofball slapstick humor between Carell and Dane Cook, but what I actually got was a heart warming story about a man, a woman, and his family. Basically, Steve Carell is a widow who meets a woman that turns out to be his brother's girlfriend. Throughout the movie his feelings for her get stronger and its up to him whether to respect his family(brother) or to give in to his emotions. The movie contains excellent performances by Carell and Cook, and its also nice to see John Mahoney in his first film since …
Rating of
3/4
Single Daddy Double-Feature (Part 2)
kcvidkid - wrote on 04/30/2008
Within a couple of days last weekend, I unintentionally saw two different movies with the similar theme of a single father trying to recreate his life several years after his wife's death. Such a coincidence probably caused my to think more harshly about the first, "Smart People", and more favorably about the second, "Dan in Real Life".
I love the idea of a movie that mocks the self-obsessed, book-smart people who don't have an ounce of common sense. But "Smart People" has only one or two moments where the issue is brought to the forefront. For example, Sarah Jessica Parker M.D. says about her relationship with Dennis Quaid, "We're smart people; we'll figure it out." Either that wasn't really supposed to be the focus of the movie, or it was so poorly constructed that it took this …
Rating of
3/4
Dan the Man
BryanFury - wrote on 03/16/2008
Steve Carell's unsuccessful Evan Almighty made me think twice to see him do his thing once again in Dan in Real Life. At first I thought not another disastrous irritating humor from that guy. But then he proved me wrong by just doing what he does best. Real humor, a comedy that it’s not slapstick funny but a humor that comes from the heart. Another thing that made this movie something worthwhile seeing is the supporting characters. I was quite surprise that Dane Cook did not annoy me with his over the top stints but rather not be himself for just once. Also the whole family of Dan touch the insides of me and made me realized that I want to feel what it would be like to be in his shoes. It is also nice to see Juliet Binoche be back in her element and shines all throughout. Overall …
Rating of
3/4
Dan in Real Life
Franz Patrick - wrote on 12/24/2007
I love comedies that stick close to real life--source of hilarities that can happen to me any day. This film is just like that. There's no fancy, trying-too-hard feel to it. Instead of solving all of the characters' problems in a span of an hour and forty minutes, it surpassed all of those problems so that it could be solved later on when the camera isn't running any longer. Although most people may see that as an imperfection, I see it as a nice touch. After all, the picture is called "Dan in Real Life" not "Dan in Dreamland." I very much enjoyed Steve Carell's performance here. He proved to me that he's not a one-time comedy sketch. There are a lot of moments where I felt what he had felt and I think that's hard to do considering I'm not exactly the kind of filmgoer that easily feels …
Rating of
2/4
I am positive I don't love this movie.
Josh C - wrote on 11/15/2007
Maybe it is the fact I am a pessimist or maybe I just don't like love stories. Either way, I just couldn't fall in love with this movie. I will start with the good.
The acting was decent, Steve Carell character was a bit different than his other rolls. He was more serious and mellow and I do think he did a good job and was convincing. The charisma that Steve Carell and Juliette Binoche had between each other was enjoyable and true to life. This made the movie enjoyable to watch and kept things from getting too out of hand and distant from reality.
Now for the bad. Dane Cook. He should not be an actor, his stand up is good but his acting is terrible. Along with his bad acting was the lack of surprises. This is a love story that you can see coming from a mile away. This …
Rating of
3.5/4
"Dan in Real Life" is Simply Wonderful
efrain - wrote on 11/14/2007
I loved “Dan in Real Life.” It’s a wonderful journey-to-love blend of “While You Were Sleeping,” “You’ve Got Mail“, even a bit of “Sabrina“, and it’s neither so ridiculously full of sight gags and vulgar jokes, nor is it so full of romantic cheese it makes you want to throw up.
Dan Burns (Steve Carrell of “The Office“) is a popular advice columnist and widower who is in a bit of a slump and can’t seem to get his own life straightened out. Until one day during an annual family gathering, he meets Marie (Juliette Binoche, “Chocolat“), a radiant specimen of a woman who seems to be framed in a hazy filter hearkening back to the starlets of classic cinema. Chemistry between Dan and Marie happens over tea and a muffin, but the two must part ways as soon as …
Rating of
3.5/4
Carrell is a revelation
newmans_own - wrote on 10/27/2007
The plot is a bit ho-hum, and some of the comedic moments are far too familiar. Dan’s repeated run-ins with the same police officer fall flat, and the script subscribes to the belief that there’s nothing funnier than a middle-aged man trying to exercise or dance. Director and co-writer Peter Hedges (2003’s PIECES OF APRIL) constructs these scenes well, despite their clichéd nature. Laughter is obtained, yet it remains muted throughout. The film becomes stronger when it sets aside comic conventions and aims for honesty. These moments are incredibly effective and balance the tired shticks it wrings out to get laughs.
The main reason for the effectiveness of the dramatic scenes is the honest, likable cast that remains fully committed to the material. Carrell’s finest moments …
