Dan's real and oh so cute life

Today's movie is Dan In Real Life.

This comedy/drama moves to its predictable outcome without shocking the natives or threatening unpleasantness. It is predicated on the somewhat unlikely notion that the screen presence that is Juliette Binoche would be interested in a romantic relationship with the screen presence represented by Dane Cook.

Unsurprisingly, Binoche never seems comfortable in any of her scenes with Cook and they always appear ill matched to me. Conveniently this works for the movie because of the storyline which requires Binoche to be ill at ease facing Cook's large family for the first time and being surprised by who she meets amongst them.

Steve Carell is an actor I have previously seen in Little Miss Sunshine which I liked and that stinker Bewitched which I didn't but who I have tried to avoid. I have been put off by what I saw of him in the trailers for other movies such as The 40 Year Old Virgin and Evan Almighty.

In this movie, Carell plays it sad and sensitive and I found him a generally sympathetic if occasionally irritating character. I thought he and Binoche were a better coupling of characters than I expected.

There are a host of side characters representing siblings, in-laws, children, nieces and nephews; the majority of whom are not clearly identified. This makes little difference to a storyline that requires them only to be endlessly cute, family oriented, supportive and sickly sweet.

For a movie which pushes a strong line in family goodness one scene where they all make fun of the looks of a yet to be seen character jarred badly with me. That part is played by actor-de-jour, Emily Blunt in an eccentric cameo.

Despite the negatives I noted above, I did enjoy this low-key movie which is likeable. I think it is for romantic souls and those hoping to be.