| Overall Grade: |
C |
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| Story: |
C |
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| Acting: |
C+ |
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| Direction: |
D |
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| Visuals: |
D |
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Dan real lifeless
by T (movies profile)
May 24, 2008
34
of
52 people found this review helpful
Steve Carrell is funny without even trying, he has an almost Bob Newhart sense about him. He draws you in to his comfortable ways, problems, and devotion to his family as his center of attention.
The filming of this movie was either brilliant or cheap. They seemed to use a family movie format (remember the Super8) for Dan in Real Life which I'm hoping it was intentional.
The musical score that runs through this movie resembles scratching a blackboard and was very forgetable.
Dan is an advice columnist for a local paper and a widower with three great daughters, watch the middle daughter, she is spot on as the love struck 14 year old. The irony is that Dan writes a parenting column for his local paper and has his hands full with the girls and his love relationships. This role is perfect for Steve whom is like so many regular folks.
Because he is a single parent he has strict rules for his daughters and finds the advice he gives isn't always as easy in real life.
Step in the natural beauty Marie, played skillfully by Juliette Binoche, and the sparks fly as he finds out after a chance meeting at a book store (near his fathers home in N.J.) that there is a connection and proves he's out of practice with everything except his honesty and his loneliness.
Well here is where it becomes similar to those 50s & 60s sitcoms where Steve finds out his younger brother Mitch, played by Dane Cook (stick to comedy)is dating this woman he has becomes lovestruck with.
The central part of the movie takes off with the mom and dad, played by Diane Wiest and John Mahoney, provide sound advice and shows why the family get together every year up in New Jersey is more than a vacation, but its to bond and have some good old fashion fun.
The chemistry was there for the 2 people but the story just never took off for me and I so looked forward to this movie. Dan's conflict of right and wrong when he is confronted with feelings he can't control. Love conquers all even after his goofy dancing which was pretty funny.
I'd recommend this movie but like every real good life it has its ups and downs. |
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