I was asked to create an advice column type of website recently so in the interest of research I rented Dan in Real Life without knowing much more about the plot than that the Dad (Steve Carell) is an advice columnist.Personally I feel that Steve Carell’s best role ever was in Anchorman.I’d prefer it if he stuck to roles that have him bellowing non sequiturs like “I love lamp”. He is an artist of the absurd and he should embrace this about himself. It worked for Bill Murray and now look at him. I got equally queasy when Jim Carrey went the dramatic route and I still refuse to like him when he is being serious.We have enough serious actors.
My biggest problem with ye old plot was that it was stupid.The writers must have assumed that we would not mind a father of 3 acting like a 12 year old.They probably think that our level of maturity hovers around the 12 year old mark,too.
Total Spoiler
Dan, while home for the holidays, meets a woman in a bookstore, ends up talking to her for hours and then goes back to the family home to find out this woman is his brother’s(Dane Cook,troublesome casting choice) new girlfriend and he is crazy about her.The woman, “Marie”(Juliette Binoche,love love) has fallen for Dan but she is in this new relationship with his brother and is determined to be realistic or at the very least,polite. Dan can’t stand her grown up choice and acts like a complete twit about it. It’s like Geez, you knew her for 3 hours,dude,relax.
Following the formula of boy meets girl, girl is boy’s brother’s girlfriend, boy loses girl, boy gets girl in the end,thank you Hollywood.