Heaven Hi!!!

Steve Carrel shines in his newest film since his smash hit “Evan Almighty,” in “Dan in Real Life.”

He’s not a prankster like Jim Carrey or a crack-up like Robin Williams; he’s more the Jack Lemmon type (it’s easy to imagine him in a remake of “The Apartment”). His awkward, inadequate ordinariness is his selling point. He’s the fool who suffers frustration, humiliation and rejection on our behalf, and the joke is always on him.

If Carell looked swamped in “Evan Almighty,” he’s firmly back in his comfort zone in “Dan in Real Life.” This is his most assured and rounded performance to date. Dan’s character is a “flying” character. He is always on his toes half paranoid about the world around him.

In the opening few minutes we watch Dan dispensing sage parenting tips in print — the movie’s title is also the name of his advice column — and keeping a too-tight rein on his three growing daughters. A widower, he’s working his socks off to keep it all together.

It sounds like the setup for a sitcom, but never mind. No sooner has Dan driven the kids to Poppy and Nana’s house for the annual family get-together.This is located in off-season Rhode Island where he meets up with none other then the beautiful Juliette Binoche in a secondhand bookstore.

Dan’s focus is on his humanities, however with his off balanced personality, he is inadvertantly delivering comedy. That’s where his character is 25% focused on his humor with his quirky personality and ironic sense of ‘humor.’ 25% of this film as well as the third triangle of Dan’s creative character is sexuality. Dan finds himself smittes for lovely Binoche who has also attracted Dan’s little brother, playing Dane Cook. Uh oh! Problem! This film is light hearted and charming. Dan in Real life plays a character that Actors For Real can relate to by trying to maintain that balance in life with children, school, dating, flirting, and family. My book, talks about how to be balanced, observent, and present in REAL LIFE. Read my book and you will find the steps to success that we and even Dan try every day so hard to look for. It’s all in there, you just have to open it up.

Be BOP!!!
Thom