Dan in Real Life
You know those big, friendly, and relatively uncomplicated families that have annual reunions in Mom and Dad’s spacious, rustic house, where everyone comes whether they want to or not and end up enjoying themselves regardless of the family turmoil of the moment? Me neither, but they’re a great set-up for some kind of subset of romantic comedies. Family Reunion Comedies, perhaps? Dan in Real Life is better than some in this genre, thanks in large part to Steve Carrell’s humorous but heartfelt turn as Dan, a widower with three daughters who meets the perfect woman (Anne-Marie, played by Juliette Binoche) only to find out that she’s his brother’s new girlfriend. While this movie may be following a recipe for cuteness, it is, actually, cute.