Dan In Real LIfe: B

Dan Ashburn (Steve Carell) is a devoted single father and renowned advice columnist. When his entire extended family gets together for a reunion in a beach-front house, he unexpectedly meets Marie (Juliette Binoche), the woman of his dreams. She is smart, funny, beautiful and she just happens to be his brother Mitch's (Dan Cooks) girlfriend. The man with all the answers finds that the hardest advice to take is his own.

I am a fan of simplicity, I enjoy complication only when every other effort has been tried and exhausted, the natural flow of life however seems to be of the opinion that complication is good for me. Dan Ashburns life seems to be in the same position as me, and maybe you too!

"Dan in Real Life", is one of the most real movies I have seen in the last few months, Steve Carrell infers the quirkiness of a life spent in selfless service, helping others, advising others, and comforting others in complicated circumstances, while ignoring the joys and simplicities of life that allow us to dismiss or at very least bare the complicated.

The discovery or "Rude awakening" of ones loneliness and singularity can be daunting, "Dan" deals with the how one overcomes this issue through love, the love of family, the love of Friends, and love of a girl and Boy. All the Happiness, Sadness, uncertainty, certainty, and finally acceptance of this solution are shown in complete truthfulness, it is raw in its portrayal and beautiful to see.

There are several Cons to this movie, The script is predictable & seems to lag through several scenes, the lack of explainable interaction between characters, and the over acting of other characters is unrealistic and disappointing. With all that said, this is one to see with the ones you love.

Rated "PG-13"

See Also: Once, Garden State, About a Boy