Review of Dan in Real Life (2007) by Brian D — 07 Aug 2010

I thought I was going to HATE this movie. But despite the fact this movie has Dane Cook in it, I actually really liked it.

I think that the plot is actually a really good one. I loved the kind of tortured soul that Steve Carell is as the grieving widower who writes an advice column, when in all actuality, he really has nothing in his life together.

When you see the cover/poster for this film, you immediately assume it's going to be another depressing late 2000s film. But really, it's actually got a sweet message. I think that the real strength of the film though is the dynamic push-pull on screen chemistry that Steve Carell and Juliette Binoche have together. Peter Hodges also seemed to bring about the most intensely awkward moments in their flirtatious pseudo relationship that almost everyone in the world can relate to.

The family and their reactions are great too. Hodges just managed to bring everything together in this movie to create a very cohesive and identifiable family dynamic that's so real, you can almost smell it. In a way, this film reminds me a lot of the late 80s/early 90s John Hughes family movies. A very lovely romance threads everything together in a beautifully imperfect way.

The funny part about Dane Cook in this movie is that he's in the most perfect role for him, an absolutely pathetic alpha male who never matured past the point of being twelve years old.