I am a fan of Steve Carell’s work on both large and small screen. In general comic actors’ attempts to transition into dramatic roles fare poorly. His performance in Little Miss Sunshine was intriguing enough that we went to see Dan in Real Life in the theatre.
The film was visually beautiful; kudos to Lawrence Sher and Sarah Flack. The soundtrack was quirky but worked. But the real strength of the film was its script and the actors’ performances even though I don’t know if I would have cast Juliette Binoche and I don’t care for Dane Cook’s work. Carell brought a tangible poignancy and pathos to his role. I found it quite, surprisingly good.
Despite including one of my favorite sight gags, I would classify Dan in Real Life more of a romantic drama than romantic comedy. I recommend this film to those looking for a love story that strums the heart strings and plucks a few laughs.
