2008 Woodie Awards
Carell improves in 'Dan in Real Life'
Matt Lee
Issue date: 11/1/07 Section: Intermission
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Steve Carell emerges from the flood of disappointment that was "Evan Almighty" to bring his audience a much more inviting and compassionate film.
"Dan in Real Life" blends romantic comedy with a realistic home movie-feel to give viewers a look at the life of a newspaper columnist and single father of three girls.
After his wife dies, Dan becomes an overly devoted parent who has had little time and virtually no interest in finding a new mate.
Nonetheless, during a traditional family gathering in Rhode Island, he decides to take a chance with Marie, a character played by Juliette Binoche.
Marie would be the perfect match for him, if it wasn't for the fact that she's involved with someone else, Dan's brother, Mitch, played by Dane Cook.
Mitch has invited Marie to the house for the week to have the family get to know her. The growing tension between Marie and Dan leads, of course, to a series of both comedic and tragic events.
One small detail of this film that I find questionable is its believability. Why on Earth would Marie, a charming, sophisticated and overall amazing person, feel the need to settle for someone like Mitch?
Although Cook portrays a much more respectable character in this film than he has in any other, he is still a simple-minded goofball.
The only logic I can come up with to explain this is the audience is supposed to immediately see Marie and Mitch are not a good couple, and that she should clearly be with Dan.
One aspect of the script that is awkwardly dealt with is exposition. At many times, it is done in the least creative way possible, a character who simply states what, why or how.
While this can be a very efficient technique, it is also the most clumsy.
A few of the scenes make it seem as if some of the characters are a part of the audience, explaining minor details of the plot to anyone in the crowd who may not know what's going on.
Despite this, many of the actors in this film did remarkable jobs. The actors portraying the three daughters each gave especially wonderful performances, usually displaying feelings of rebellion and loathing toward Dan.
The two older girls are believable examples of teenagers at odds with the adult world, and the youngest of the three is the classic "cute kid," who sees that life's problems always have a simple solution.
One particular element of the relationship of the three daughters to Dan is their cyclical pattern of dialogue carried out during the film.
Through this, they establish a clear reversal of their roles, with the confused and helpless parental figure eventually seeking support from the strong adolescent characters.
"Dan in Real Life" is the perfect film to watch for someone who is craving a warm, mushy feeling inside.
It's sentimental without being cheesy, it's funny without being crude and it's romantic without being insipid.
"Dan in Real Life" blends romantic comedy with a realistic home movie-feel to give viewers a look at the life of a newspaper columnist and single father of three girls.
After his wife dies, Dan becomes an overly devoted parent who has had little time and virtually no interest in finding a new mate.
Nonetheless, during a traditional family gathering in Rhode Island, he decides to take a chance with Marie, a character played by Juliette Binoche.
Marie would be the perfect match for him, if it wasn't for the fact that she's involved with someone else, Dan's brother, Mitch, played by Dane Cook.
Mitch has invited Marie to the house for the week to have the family get to know her. The growing tension between Marie and Dan leads, of course, to a series of both comedic and tragic events.
One small detail of this film that I find questionable is its believability. Why on Earth would Marie, a charming, sophisticated and overall amazing person, feel the need to settle for someone like Mitch?
Although Cook portrays a much more respectable character in this film than he has in any other, he is still a simple-minded goofball.
The only logic I can come up with to explain this is the audience is supposed to immediately see Marie and Mitch are not a good couple, and that she should clearly be with Dan.
One aspect of the script that is awkwardly dealt with is exposition. At many times, it is done in the least creative way possible, a character who simply states what, why or how.
While this can be a very efficient technique, it is also the most clumsy.
A few of the scenes make it seem as if some of the characters are a part of the audience, explaining minor details of the plot to anyone in the crowd who may not know what's going on.
Despite this, many of the actors in this film did remarkable jobs. The actors portraying the three daughters each gave especially wonderful performances, usually displaying feelings of rebellion and loathing toward Dan.
The two older girls are believable examples of teenagers at odds with the adult world, and the youngest of the three is the classic "cute kid," who sees that life's problems always have a simple solution.
One particular element of the relationship of the three daughters to Dan is their cyclical pattern of dialogue carried out during the film.
Through this, they establish a clear reversal of their roles, with the confused and helpless parental figure eventually seeking support from the strong adolescent characters.
"Dan in Real Life" is the perfect film to watch for someone who is craving a warm, mushy feeling inside.
It's sentimental without being cheesy, it's funny without being crude and it's romantic without being insipid.