I'll have my review up in about 45 minutes. I just got back.

Edit: Okay, so it took longer than 45 minutes, but here it is.

http://www.worldofkj.com/articleIndex.php?tid=31000

One of the best films of the year. Seriously. Everything about this movie is delightful. Steve Carell gives his best performance ever, and the entire supporting cast does a standout job. I loved everything about this movie and highly recommend it. It's a subtle, incredibly sweet and heartwarming dramedy that should win over even the coldest of hearts.

A

It's the epitome of a feel-good film, but the title is very misleading, especially in the last act. Still, Steve Carrell and Juliet Binoche's plentiful amount of talent and charm make it very easy to forgive the film for having Dane Cook in it and getting too corny. Carrell in particular continues to impress me with everything he does. Unlike so many of the Frat Pack guys, he's actually displayed a huge amount of range in his comedic roles. Between Anchorman, 40YOV, The Office and this he's played four very different and all very funny characters. Anyone looking for something that'll make them feel warm and fuzzy yet not insult their intelligence too much should check this one out.

This is the first non-summer, non-event movie that I've seen where people clapped at the end. Hopefully that's indication of some stellar WOM coming its way.

Really sweet, feel-good movie. The cast is great. The plot prediatable, but some humor and great performances elevate this to something more than your average feel good movie. I can see myself watching this over and over and not get bored of it. I'm giving it an A-.

This film made me forget for a while that Dane Cook is a big douche. That is not an easy thing to do.

Very predictable which makes it difficult to really like since it seems they didn't even try and add something surprising to it.

Up there for best of the year. Steve Carell did a fantastic job. I loved this movie. Simple as that. I even really liked Dane Cook's performance. A lot.

A

Absolutely loved it. Steve Carrell is brilliant.

My family is extremely large, and while we've never had the chance to go all-out like Dan's family does in the movie, once we're all living in the same vicinity, I can imagine that we'll definitely be doing those types of things.

To be honest, watching Dan's family made me really sad, 'cause the majority of my family used to all be in California, and now half of us are in Missouri and the other half still out on the west coast. I felt an envy for those fictional characters that I've never felt before when watching a movie.

And knowing my family's taste in entertainment and our extremely horrible bad luck, I could totally see something like the bowling alley scene happen in real life with us. It was totally believable to me.

Grade: A

Really good feel good movie. Loved all the moments with Steve and Juliette, also really loved all the family scenes. Didnt like that he was hooking up with Juliette after she had just dumped his brother. Thats a line you don't cross.

They had to have Dane Cook's character hook up with the hot brunette, otherwise I don't think the audience would have totally gone for Carrell getting together with juliette, if we all knew his brother was still grieving.

But it was a very good film.

B+

Nice bittersweet dramedy (or more accurately... comedrama).

Too bad they didn't bother to sketch in a bit more of the overstory - - ya know about his job as an advice columnist and all, because all the understory was so finely drawn.

Steve Carrell was fantastic, as he always has been in all his movie roles thus far, but this one was tailored to him like a bespoke suit, so he didn't have to stretch too hard.

Once they had a little story foreplay to introduce the broad breadth of characters in Dan's extended family, there were extended sequences of intense hilarity. I mean seriously funny stuff. Then it went to pure sweetness again, and not the sickening treacle of some of this breed, but rather the honey purity of a well made cake.

GREAT.

Errrrr... that's the whole storyline of the film you're complainin' about there...

Feel-good and heartwarming. Steve Carell is wonderful. Feather-light, but it's hard to ask for much more. B

It takes absolutely no risks and is as generic as possible...so that's why it's impossible to not like it. Steve Carell is a good lead here.

B

There's a great movie scratching at the surface, but it never really peaks it's head out too much. There was some lack of focus throughout, especially with Mitch's and Marie's characters. The ending scene with Dan and his daughters didn't really provide believable closure.

But as it's been said, it's a predictable feel-good movie, so it's impossible to not like it. And there were some greats moments of hilarity. "YOU ARE A MURDERER OF LOVE!" Steve Carrell was pretty spectacular here as well.

B

I did not expect to like it as much as I did. Cliches and sappy ending aside, a surprisingly good movie that was touching, a bit sad at times, and funny.

***1/2

good little film. Carell does extremely well.

B+

DAN IN REAL LIFE - 8/10 (B+)

Plays much better on DVD. In theaters I was close to giving it a B, but I'll go with the B+ after watching it again on DVD. Steve Carell is great and Juliette Binoche is very charming.

A likeable, predictable comedy but with a great performance from Steve Carell. Enjoyable.

**½

B
Very sweet, charming, nicely thought out film which had minor pacing issues and morality problems.
It just wasnt massively exciting, but I did like seeing the romance. I wish we could ahve had more of that, and more of a vantage point to the adults of the film rather than the focus on the kids

B


Not much can be added to what has already been said. It's a predictable, charming movie that is impossible to dislike. Steve Carrel delivers a solid performance, probably his best to date and shows that he does have potential as a serious actor too. The different storylines of other characters weren't very interesting to be honest, so I'm glad the movie focused on Binoche and Carrel. I just wished the both had better chemistry with one another. The most amazing thing about this film, however, is probably the fact that Dane Cook actually wasn't annoying!

What this movie could have used, though would be a bit more detailed character development and some more funny scenwes. There are a couple, but there are just too few, considering that the premise offers a lot of opportunities for such scenss, in my opinion.

It's a feather-light movie like Libs has pointed out and it's heading towards a very expected happy ending, but let's be honest, none of us would have liked it to end any diferently either! I know for myself that I was rooting for Carrel's character until the very end. It just made me wonder how Juliette Binoche would end up with someone like Dane Cook in first place, heh.

Seen it a lot of times now, very good romantic dramedy. Dug the whole cast, setting, and just overall simplicity in the story focussing on the characters.

Color me suprised but this was a very charming and sweet little film with Steve Carell doing a great job in his lead role and Juliette Binoche and Dane Cook give good supporting back up. A nice suprise from 2007. A-

Dan in Real Life

I really loved this. Funny in a real way, not in a comedy ha-ha way. I am not sure I totally believed in Dan's problem to share time with a girl he just met that he likes but shouldn't because it's his brother's girlfriend. I mean, you just met her! How in love can you be??! But over the course of the film is does become more believable. And you just know (because it's Dane Cook) that his brother doesn't truly love her and it's not serious at all, and that Dan will get with Marie....and that all happens, so great! Dan and Marie are similar in age, and Dane Cook's character and Emily Blunt are both young and hot. It was meant to be.

Carell is worth mentioning, too. One of his standout performances.

B+

The poster for Dan in Real Life really doesn't do it justice. It gives the impression that it is a Date Night or She's Out of My League-type comedy, but it's nothing like that. It's more This Is Where I Leave You.