Dan in real life
|
|
(This post was updated on )
 Advice columnist Dan Burns has his hands full with three daughters that he's not willing to let grow up. The girls still grieve for their mother who died four years ago, and Dan hasn’t made any attempts to date. So he's pleasantly surprised when he meets Marie at a bookstore when he goes to his parents' Rhode Island home for the annual family reunion. But his joy is short-lived when he discovers that she is dating his brother, forcing Dan to hide his feelings and chemistry with Marie.
As he did in Pieces of April, Hedges astutely dissects family relationships with an enjoyable balance of comedy and drama. The film knowingly examines romance, parenthood, grief and betrayal, but succumbs slightly to simplistic sentimentality. Dan Burns (Carell) is a local newspaper columnist who's still struggling to emerge from his heartache after the death of his wife four years ago. He's raising his three daughters on his own: level-headed 17-year-old Jane (Pill), burgeoning teen Cara (Robertson) and sensitive 9-year-old Lilly (Lawston). On a weekend with his parents (Mahoney and Weist) and extended family, old patterns re-emerge that put Dan in his place. And the real problem is that he discovers that the first woman (Binoche) he's fallen for in four years is seeing his brother (Cook). Carell is terrific in the central role, wonderfully balancing Dan's various roles as a father, son and love interest, none of which he's very good at. Carell's timing is perfect, never overplaying the comedy and also resisting the temptation to make Dan hugely likeable. As a result, we identify with his embarrassments, moments of insight and especially the way his family turn him into someone he's not. Meanwhile, Binoche is charming and mercurial, and Cook is solid as a guy who's nice but shallow. Hedges keeps the film fresh and honest, with dialog and interaction that often feels improvised. This creates a warm, wry and extremely authentic tone. Although it's never a full-on comedy, there are some very funny moments. And Hedges cleverly frames the standard comedy set pieces (such as that hide-in-the-shower chestnut) with such bracing realism that they often become more scary than funny. While the plot's big moments are packed with passion and genuine awkwardness. So it's a little frustrating that the film never seems to get very far beneath the surface. Despite the edgy, fascinating characters, each one is basically a type, deepened only by the gifted actors and the jagged interaction. As the story progresses the slapstick, romance and drama begin to feel somewhat thin, complete with the expected resolutions and life lessons. But there are plenty of terrific jolts of emotion and raw comedy that make it well worth the ride. Written and directed by Peter Hedges (who made indie hit Pieces of April), Dan In Real Life stars Steve Carell as newspaper columnist Dan Burns, who's struggling to raise his three daughters (Alison Pill, Brittany Robertson and Marlene Lawston) after the death of his wife, four years previously. However, while visiting his parents (Dianne Wiest and John Mahoney) for an extended family get-together, Dan falls for a beautiful French woman (Juliette Binoche) he flirts with in a bookshop, only to discover, to his horror, that she's dating his younger brother (Dane Cook). The performances are excellent, particularly Steve Carell, who isn't afraid to occasionally show Dan in a less than sympathetic light. He also has genuine chemistry with Juliette Binoche, who's equally good, delivering an utterly charming performance that somehow allows you to forgive the fact that she's flirting outrageously with her boyfriend's older brother. In addition, there's terrific support from Alison Pill (as level-headed older sister Jane) and from Dianne Wiest and a decidedly frail-looking John Mahoney as Dan's overbearing parents, while even the normally punchable Dane Cook (from Good Luck Chuck) turns in a likeable performance. There's also a scene-stealingly sexy cameo from Emily Blunt, even if it is a little hard to believe that her character would be after Dan (who's old enough to be her dad) rather than his younger brother. Hedges' superb script crackles with laugh-out-loud dialogue and even manages to breathe new life into the old hide-in-the-shower routine. Similarly, as a director, Hedges brings a real air of believability to the various family interactions and the emotional scenes are genuinely affecting as a result. In short, Dan In Real Life is a hugely enjoyable comedy / drama that delivers a good balance of laugh-out-loud comedy and strong emotional moments. Highly recommended.  Steve Carell ... Dan Burns Juliette Binoche ... Marie Dane Cook ... Mitch Burns Alison Pill ... Jane Burns Brittany Robertson ... Cara Burns Marlene Lawston ... Lilly Burns Dianne Wiest ... Nana John Mahoney ... Poppy Norbert Leo Butz ... Clay Amy Ryan ... Eileen Jessica Hecht ... Amy Frank Wood ... Howard Henry Miller ... Will Ella Miller ... Rachel Cameron 'C.J.' Adams ... Elliott IMDB Download Torrent 
|
||||||||
|
|
||||||||
| Free Embeddable Forum Powered by Nabble | Help |
