Carell’s ‘Real life’ full of laughs

Steve Carell is already one of the most identifiable actors in Hollywood today. On the surface he looks so ordinary, and yet he manages to handle the burdens of being a leading man with ease. It is this mild-mannered version of Carell that moviegoers see in “Dan in Real Life.”

Columnist Dan Burns is a widower with three daughters. Years removed from the death of his wife, Dan attempts to move on while dealing with the constant disappointments of harsh reality. By chance, he makes a quick connection with Marie (Juliette Binoche), but their relationship is complicated and strenuous from the start.

The film plays out as an unedited version of a romantic comedy, highlighting the comedy of awkward pauses and bad timing. Several humorous instances of the movie are central to Dan alone, such as having multiple doors slammed in his face and being left in a room after a shocking revelation. This personal approach allows the viewer a unique perspective into his world.

Carell and Binoche mesh well together on screen. While the romance is not very complex, it is believable. Dan’s ordinary lifestyle should not easily woo women in the movie — and it did not with Binoche, though his local celebrity fame comes close with another woman.

Not surprisingly, the movie is most identifiable with middle-aged adults. Many witty comments from Carell have adults in the audience laughing and nodding from experience.

The problems of Dan’s daughters are typical. The oldest is in a hurry to start driving, the middle child has fallen in love after just a few weeks, and the youngest is trying to assert her ability to do things on her own. The most comedy easily comes from the middle child’s plight of being kept away from her lover, causing her to go over-the-top in emotional pleas to her father.

Dane Cook even manages to tone down his personality to play Dan’s brother Mitch. His only major slip-up is a song he sings in the middle, which goes on for way too long and makes the family look insulting and childish.

An outstanding soundtrack aids the movie. The bulk of the music came from Sondre Lerche, who produced several brand new songs for the film. The acoustic strums set an early casual tone for each scene in which they appear.

The film also appeared to use more wide shots, making Carell harder to pick out of the background of some scenes. This interesting cinematography gives another layer to the storytelling, further emphasizing how mundane and dreary Carell’s life is.

The film can be forgiven of its minor mistakes and bits of cheesy dialogue. “Dan in Real Life” is a feel-good movie chock full of laughs throughout. Carell can be forgiven for his bad career moves like “Evan Almighty” if he continues to turn in good performances.