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 (4)
Plots(1)
Comedy starring Steve Carell as advice columnist Dan Burns. In his column, Dan appears to be an expert on relationships, but in real life he struggles to succeed as a brother, son and single parent to three precocious daughters, Jane (Alison Pill), Cara (Brittany Robertson) and Lilly (Marlene Lawston). Things get even more complicated for Dan when he discovers the woman he has recently fallen in love with is already in a relationship with his brother, Mitch (Dane Cook). (Icon Film Distribution)
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Reviews (7)
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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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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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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I have the same problem with this film as with Love Actually. Both films tug at your heartstrings, both are full of annoying clichés, but for reasons unknown to me, they make me suppress my innate cynicism. If only the kids in the film hadn’t been so annoying all the time (especially the heart-to-heart with the father just before the end was enough to make me puke), I might have even thrown in a fifth star. Mainly because it’s the first time I've realized Steve Carell can do better than just comedy (sometimes of questionable quality).
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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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