Wednesday, November 28, 2007

Dan In Real Life: A Dan's Gotta Do What A Dan's Gotta Do



Anyone who’s been in a relationship they didn’t reveal to the public knows the awkwardness that can surround them. Small actions can make it awkward, as well as others’ actions. While it is almost never funny for the people surrounded by awkwardness, it sure is funny for anyone who knows and is watching.

Dan In Real Life makes the most of that awkwardness. It follows Dan (40-Year-Old Virgin's Steve Carell, above left), a widower, single-father of three girls, and an advice columnist. He picks up his daughters, takes them to his parents’ house for Thanksgiving, and along the way he meets the lovely Marie and flirts for what he can. They exchange numbers and he says he’ll call. When he gets to the parents’ house, his brother (Mr. Brooks' Dane Cook, above right) introduces his girlfriend, who is none other than Marie (Juliette Binoche, above center).

The two have back and forth feelings for each other, hint at things across the dinner table, try to resist the other, and move on through the awkwardness. This is thrown on-top of Dan’s difficulties trying to connect with his three daughters and his family giving him dating advice and hooking him up with blind dates.

The movie is humorous with heart. Among the usual family humor that is only funny when it isn’t your family, the irony between Dan and Marie and everyone else is endlessly funny. It isn’t one gimmick used over and over again, but used in every angle it could be used in. The two try to hide their emotions from everyone else, from each other, and against each other. Each action says much about the character’s intention at the time. Had you walked halfway into the movie, you would be completely lost because you couldn’t see the other two or three meanings behind every little thing. The way every line and action means more than the usual, single punchline makes the jokes and drama more unique.

Furthermore, the drama never goes so far as to make it seem ludicrous. The film is a mannered comedy without discontent for any characters. The family’s love is obvious, Dan truly cares for his brother’s feelings, Marie is not being selfish, and the relationship with the girls has character where everything said comes back around to make each character complete in their relationship with Dan.

One advantage of the film is it doesn’t make its end obvious. There are moments where I wasn’t sure which way the movie would end: with or without Marie? There were a few other twists involving the daughters, but you will have to see it to find out those.

The gems of this movie are Carrell’s acting, the script to make the most out of the one joke they have, and a cameo by Emily Blunt (Devil Wears Prada) in a minor role. Carrell embodies the everyman, and while I thought Ben Stiller in The Heartbreak Kid got the audience to root for love’s betrayer, you will never doubt Dan’s good intentions in Dan In Real Life.

Is it entertaining? Yes. While it may appear as just another comedy about family’s getting together for the holidays, it makes the most of its center relationship in every direction it can. When I thought it was going to make the same joke again, it switched directions.

Is it marketable? Very much so. Unlike The Heartbreak Kid where Ben Stiller and the Farrelly brothers disgust some, Dan will disgust none. It is wholly good-hearted with jokes for everyone.

Is it memorable? Yes. Although not as outrageous and original holiday about being home for the holidays (The Family Stone took that one).

My advice: Good date movie.





Thanks,



Robert in the Red Tie

2 comments:

Anonymous said...

You need to take a Headline and Copy Editing class!..That has got to be the worst headline ever...but heck of an article bud

Anonymous said...

Dear Halestorm,

The headline's are a play on words, or a pun of the movie title/plot, made in honor of the method Roger Ebert chooses. Just like Ebert writes for the Chicago Sun-Times, the editor picks the heading for the paper, while Ebert chooses the heading for the website review. I take advantage of the website priveleges and put the title I choose, usually a play on words or something I feel reflects the points of the article, not the headline the newspapers would choose for the shake of attracting readers. If you put my website in, then obviously you're going to read it, might as well make a fun title for more attractive and entertaining reading purposes. Enjoy!

Thanks,
Robert Neely,
Red Tie Guy