Post by BIGFANBOY on Oct 31, 2007 2:51:25 GMT -5
DAN IN REAL LIFE
Review by Gary Dean Murray
Ever since his days on The Daily Show, I have considered Steve Carell one of our greatest comedic talents. His over the top, irreverent and scathingly funny reports on the fake news show were highlights of an all around great entertainment experience. Then, Steve landed a role that could have been career suicide. He was taking Ricky G’s role in the American version of the hit BBC show The Office. Instead of copying the show, the producers put a new spin on the episodes and have made an equal product to the UK smash.
But, the thing that makes it work is Steve Carell. His version of Michael, the boss from hell, has such humanity that you sometimes don’t know when to laugh or when to cry. Steve has delivered some big screen success with supporting roles in Bruce Almighty and Anchorman. His biggest hit his has been The 40 Year-old Virgin. Only Evan Almighty was a stumble, and not that much of a stumble but more of expectations and budgets gone awry. His newest flick is the romantic comedy Dan in Real Life.
The story begins with us meeting Dan (Steve Carell). He is a widow for four years and a local advice columnist. He has three daughters, two teens and one pre-teen, so his life is fending off boys and enduring driving lessons. His column is up for syndication, meaning prestige and big bucks. But, not even Dan notices how lonely Dan is.
Well, the Dan family goes to Rhode Island to meet with his large brood. We have two happy marriages with kids, both biological and adopted. Mom (Dianne Wiest) and Dad (John Mahoney) are still in love after all these years. Younger brother (Dane Cook) seems to be the happy bachelor. But he does have a lady coming to the family retreat. It is never explained if the weekend is a family reunion or some unmentioned holiday.
Dan goes into town in order to get a paper at the local bait shop/bookstore and he ‘cute meets’ Marie (Juliette Binoche), when she mistakes him for an employee. How many guys get to use the book Everybody Poops as a pick-up line? Dan gets her phone number and races home. Just as he begins to tell everyone in the house about the perfect woman he just met, the younger brother’s date walks in. And surprise…. it is Marie.
Not knowing what to do, Dan does equal parts nothing and everything. They are attracted to one another, but have to hide affections from the rest of the family. We get all the cliched pathos and sit-com scenes but, in this light vein, it works very well. Everyone knows exactly what the ending will be before the un-spooling of Reel One.
It has been said that directing is 90% casting. Juliette Binoche - who wouldn’t fall madly in love with her? With her perfect face and dream filled eyes, every man on the planet would profess love to her. But it takes a giant sthingyful of disbelief to think she would fall for a sad sack like Dan. Yes, he has his cute moments but he is more morose than mirthful.
Dane Cook does more by doing less. In the slight misfire that was Employee of the Month and the atom bomb of Good Luck Chuck, our stand-up comic has made all his meals with the scenery. By trying to do a character and not a cliche, he accomplished more by doing less. And again, no one in their right mind would believe that Juliette Binoche would find this dolt of a man worthy.
This is the Steve Carell show and he shows that he's turning from a good comedy performer to a great actor. His Dan is smart, maybe too smart, a guy who can figure out others problems but never sees his own staring in his face. But, he does deliver the heartbreak of losing a wife and trying to move on to perfection.
Dan in Real Life is sappy but also bittersweet. It has all the elements one would expect from a romantic date flick. There is no new ground broke in the screenplay or the execution , but director Peter Hedges does entertain. I’m a sucker for stories like this one, even when I know that it can never happen. Dan in Real Life is no more real life than Star Wars, but as an entertainment product, it does deliver the goods.
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