Dan In Real Life

Jan 11 2008 Evening Chronicle

SINGLE, love-starved characters in Hollywood romantic comedies should count their blessings.

Despite all the misfortunes and humiliations that litter the path to enduring happiness, these desperate singletons invariably snag Mr or Ms Right by the end credits, and seal the deal with a polished one-liner.

Life certainly sucks.

Dan In Real Life follows a well-worn template but sketches its quirky characters with such affection, and delivers each set-piece with such wit and panache, that it’s hard to resist Peter Hedges’ tender and bittersweet concoction.

Most importantly, the unlikely central pairing of Steve Carell (Little Miss Sunshine) and Juliette Binoche generates plenty of sparks of sexual chemistry that smoulder throughout the film.

Newspaper advice columnist Dan Burns (Carell) is about to be picked up for syndication. His readers avidly devour every well-chosen word about the pressures of raising a balanced family. Sadly, Dan doesn’t always practice what he preaches.

Four years after the death of his wife, he still won’t glance at another woman and he is struggling to connect with his three daughters.

Tensions flare during a family reunion, organised by Dan’s parents (Mahoney, Wiest).

A visit to a local store to pick up the morning newspapers is a perfect excuse for Dan to take much-needed time out. Here he meets beautiful stranger Marie (Binoche).

The attraction is immediate.

Dan returns home in a state of exultation only to discover that Marie is the girlfriend of his brother Mitch (Cook), and has been invited for the weekend too.

Dan In Real Life has charm and snappy dialogue in abundance, and a winning central performance from Carell as the widower, who desperately tries to ignore his true feelings for Marie for the sake of harmony.

Denial only makes Dan frustrated and irritable, so he tries a different tack and goes on a blind date with family friend.

The resulting bar-room dance-off is priceless.

Binoche is an excellent foil, with sterling support from the ensemble cast, not least the youngsters who bring emotional depth to Dan’s disillusioned daughters and denounce him as “a murderer of love”. Hedges’ film breathes fresh air into a familiar slice of dysfunctional life.

(PG, 98 mins) Comedy/Romance. Steve Carell, Juliette Binoche, Dane Cook, Alison Pill, Brittany Robertson, Marlene Lawston, Dianne Wiest, John Mahoney, Amy Ryan. Director: Peter Hedges.

NO SWEARING; NO SEX; VIOLENCE