Directed by:
Peter HedgesCinematography:
Lawrence SherComposer:
Sondre LercheCast:
Steve Carell, Juliette Binoche, Dane Cook, Alison Pill, Britt Robertson, Marlene Lawston, Dianne Wiest, John Mahoney, Norbert Leo Butz, Amy Ryan, Jessica Hecht (more)VOD (3)
Plots(1)
Early in Peter Hedges’s “Dan in Real Life,” the title character, at a bookstore, meets the woman he will fall in love with. Mistaking him for an employee, she breathlessly tries to describe the kind of book she’s looking for. (He responds by gathering up a random assortment of volumes that includes the poems of Emily Dickinson, “Anna Karenina” and “Everybody Poops.”) “I want something funny,” she says. “But not laugh-out-loud funny. And definitely not making-fun-of-people funny. I want something human funny.” It does not take long to recognize this as a declaration of the film’s own intentions. Its moral is “expect to be surprised,” and the surprise is how frequently it succeeds. “Dan in Real Life” is neither wildly farcical nor mockingly cruel, but rather, for the most part, winningly gentle and observant. (official distributor synopsis)
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Reviews (7)
My partner was surprised after the final credits at how I could be so cynical and give only two stars to a movie full of beautiful, likable, and positive people who love each other. Well, I can. Juliette Binoche is indeed an actress, about whom I wrote some time ago, that she could instantly be a candidate for Miss Sympathy Universe, and Steve Carell belongs among the most versatile American comedians with a wide range of acting and a cultivated manner of speech. However, Dan in Real Life is a typical representative of a sterile and undemanding spectacle - a mixture of romance and an appropriate dose of family values. It is simply too shallow, generic, and not of this world. Overall impression: 40%.
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I love Steve Carell in this one. When he acts and doesn't overdo it, that is. Or at least mostly. With Juliette Binoche, it suits him perfectly, and there's amazing chemistry between them. She's unreal when she's jealous. A beautiful story that life itself could have written. It's simple and yet beautifully complicated at the same time. Isn't that what we're experiencing? And if not in reality, then at least in our fantasies. Surprisingly, the ending doesn't feel awkward, even though in other films it might have. The film mostly evokes pleasant feelings, and I'm glad for that.
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An excellent film that both makes you laugh and caresses, and whose intelligent script doesn't abuse the romantic plot for emotional blackmail, which is definitely one of the film's biggest plus points. A great Steve Carell, a charming Juliette Binoche, three daughters, none of whom are unsympathetic or otherwise annoying... Well, now I've seen what can happen during a simple family reunion.
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Too bad Peter Hedges isn't as good a director as he is a writer. The likeable story is well acted, realistic, and funny, but fizzles out rather to nothing towards the end. As a screenwriter, though, Hedges has a lot to offer. It just needs to be made by someone more experienced next time.
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An unexpectedly excellent comedy with a great cast (Dane Cook, Juliette Binoche). For perhaps the first time I didn't mind Steve Carell either. The brisk pace added to the lightness of the film. I have to admit that I had a really good time. The family atmosphere literally absorbed me. Except for a few minor clichés, it was a relaxing film. 4 stars.
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