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Dan in Real Life

I could’ve loved this movie…so many good elements, but it was sunk early on by a massive flaw.

• Plot, Character

When this was released in the theatres, I heard comments about the casting of Juliette Binoche and the lack of chemistry between her and Steve Carell. While accurate, I feel the true issue was deeper. The whole Act 2 was based on Dan and the woman loving each other…when she’s with his brother. Problem is, their feelings developed over a few hours one day and it was nothing special! Sure, they were both lonely, but that was not enough to create a deep attraction, not strong enough to carry the heavy load of what transpired afterward. We needed to see then how they fit together on a personal level, how each had what the other needed (or at least how she had what Dan needed). That’s the cornerstone of any romance. (Same problem as in Serendipity and Love in The Time of Cholera.)

The above issue was compounded at the halfway point. Dan met another woman (the double-date scene) and she was beautiful, talented, saintly and into Dan. It sure seemed like they should’ve ended up together!

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