Dan In Real Life 

I’m a person who likes to see actors move out of their ‘comfort zones’ and try on new characters.  Who doesn’t love seeing the action hero in a comedy or the scream queen in a family drama?  Nothing bores me more then to see the same guy in the same part in every movie he makes.  That is why I was so glad to see Steve Carell in this film.  Dan In Real Life is a real departure from the ‘funny guy’ roles we are used to seeing him in, and it really paid off. 

Steve Carrell plays Dan Burns, an advice columnist, widower and father of three daughters who takes a trip to visit his entire family and falls in love in with his brother’s girlfriend.  Of course he doesn’t know it’s his brother’s girlfriend when he meets her, that nugget surprises him later.  His brother Mitch, played by Dane Cook, is a funny guy himself.  The admitted woman’s man, he’s sure he’s found true love with Marie, Juliette Binoch.  The situation is made all that much more awkward because this unusual romance unfolds around the whole family.    

This is an all around good movie: good casting, good acting, good plot, etc.  I enjoyed it as a real departure from all the horror and gore movies that we have be flooded with this year.  Someone asked me if this was a romantic comedy or a family drama and I really couldn’t answer them.  It’s more of a “romantic family dromedy”.  This movie seemed very genuine and real and I appreciated that.  

Dan In Real Life earns an B+ grade for being the first “Real” movie I’ve seen this year.