Rating summary

Movie		4.5
Video		4.0
Audio		4.0
Extras		3.5
Overall		4.5

Dan in Real Life Blu-ray Movie Review

Reviewed by Dr. Svet Atanasov January 12, 2009

Intelligently-scripted and flawlessly-executed Peter Hedges’ “Dan In Real Life” (2007) follows the deeds of a mid-age widower who finds love but loses his cool. Indeed, humor is in abundance here, but one wouldn’t have to look too hard to discover drama as well. Courtesy of UK-based Icon Film Entertainment.

This corn is like an angel

Dan Burns (Steve Carell, The 40 Year Old Virgin), a talented writer and lonely father of three beautiful girls (Allison Pill, Brittany Robertson, and Marlene Lawston), lives a simple life – he takes care of his family, works hard, and occasionally thinks about his deceased wife. He does not date, though his parents, relatives, and friends believe he should. Dan also doesn’t want his daughters to date. Of course, this is exactly what they want to do.

When Dan and his daughters arrive at his parents’ family house in Rhode Island things get really steamy. To avoid a disastrous conflict Dan’s mother (Dianne Wiest, Merci Docteur Rey) sends him to the nearby town to buy the local newspaper.

In the bookstore Dan is approached by the beautiful Maria (Juliette Binoche, The English Patient) who, assuming that he works there, asks for help. The two strike a conversation and end up having coffee. Maria leaves, but gives Dan her phone number.

Back in the house Dan tells everyone about the woman from the bookstore. His brother encourages him to pursue her. He also introduces to the family his new date.

There are two reads that Peter Hedges’ Dan In Real Life invites. The first, and more popular one, suggests that this is a film with a straightforward comedic structure where a good number of clichés are used to highlight the insecurities of the two sexes in regard to love and commitment. Given the main protagonists’ age, a lot of the awkward situations they get stuck in because of the limitations they have set for themselves are indeed genuinely funny.

The second, and not so popular, read on Dan In Real Life isn’t as closely attached to comedy. On the contrary, it suggests a more somber deconstruction of the main protagonists’ actions, particularly if one takes into account how the film was conceived. Furthermore, depending on how familiar the obstacles Dan must overcome feel to you, the film may resonate with you as painfully realistic. And if it does, I assure you humor will be the last thing you would find here.

Regardless of how you choose to see Dan In Real Life, however, chances are you will walk away from it with something. That “something” could be related to Peter Hedges’ impressive ability to capture the humor in all those games adults like to play, and find ways to fail at, or the uncomfortable realization that perhaps your life isn’t any more different than Dan’s.

Prior to seeing Dan In Real Life I would have argued that Steve Carell and Juliet Binoche are not a couple you want to see in a romantic movie. One has become synonymous with parody and sarcastic humor to such an extent that even when he gives serious interviews you immediately take his words with a grain of salt (take a look at the comments Steve Carell offers in the supplements section of the Blu-ray disc). The other possesses so much elegance and class that you could hardly believe a simple, straightforward comedy is where she belongs. Yet, I suppose the old saying is true, opposites do attract, and in Dan In Real Life they do so quite effectively.

Dan in Real Life Blu-ray Movie, Video Quality 

Presented in its original aspect ratio of 1.85:1, encoded with MPEG-4 AVC, and granted a 1080p transfer Dan In Real Life arrives on Blu-ray courtesy of UK-based Icon Home Entertainment.

I am fairly certain the transfer Icon Home Entertainment have used for the UK release of this film is identical to the transfer Disney offered on the US market (this was the case with the distributor's treatment of Apocalypto). This being said, Dan in Real Life looks very good – contrast is consistently impressive, clarity very pleasing, and the color-scheme (introducing plenty of lush and very well-saturated colors) excellent. Edge-enhancement isn't an issue of concern with this print, though I did spot a bit of it during a few selected scenes (a good example would be the improvised football game in front of the house, right before Steve Carell is accused of flirting with Juliette Binoche). Furthermore, I did not detect any disturbing patterns of DNR manipulation either. Film grain appears to have been treated adequately and as a result Dan in Real Life looks quite natural. Also, a basic comparison with the SDVD release (I refer to the Disney release in the US) quickly reveals the superiority of the 1080p transfer, so if you have been on the fence about upgrading do not hesitate – this Blu-ray disc is worth owning. Finally, the picture is incredibly stable. I also did not detect any problematic dots, scratches, or dirt on the actual print. (Note: Even though the majority of Icon Film Entertainment's output on Blu-ray has been region-free this specific release is actually Region-B "locked". This means that you will not be able to play the Blu-ray disc in your Region-A PS3 or SA).

Dan in Real Life Blu-ray Movie, Audio Quality 

The following audio tracks are part of the Blu-ray disc's tech portfolio: English: PCM 5.1, English: Dolby Digital 5.1, French: Dolby Digital 5.1, and Spanish: Dolby Digital 5.1.

Dan in Real Life does not benefit from an active audio structure (there is a good amount of activity in the rear channels, but nothing that you could compare to the potent soundtracks some of the latest action blockbusters arriving on Blu-ray have been granted with). The nuanced treatment the PCM 5.1 track delivers, however, is just about perfect. For example, the dialog is notably easy to follow and the music adequately mixed with it. Some of the more active scenes, such as the football game and the impromptu performances where Steve Carell pours his heart out, are obviously less dialog-centric, but the balance mentioned earlier remains intact. Finally, I did not detect any hissing, pops, or cracks to report here. For the record Icon Home Entertainment have supplied optional English, English HOH, Spanish, and French subtitles.

Dan in Real Life Blu-ray Movie, Special Features and Extras 

There is a good amount of supplemental materials here. First, there is an audio commentary by writer-director Peter Hedges where he talks about the history behind his film, and how everything was put-together. What I found particularly illuminating here were the comments addressing the manner in which Dan in Real Life was shot (Peter Hedges talks about what he wanted his film to look like, how real people should be filmed, and, interestingly enough, what the film should not look like citing a number of issues with current productions where "family" appears to be the focus of attention). "Just Like Family – The Making Of Dan In Real Life" offers more on the production history of this film and how it came to exist (there are quite a few scattered bits of interviews with the cast and crew where they share their thoughts on the film). Next is "Handmade Music – Creating the Score Featurette", an interesting piece focusing on the work of Sondre Lerche, a talented musician responsible for the film's soundtrack. Finally, there is a section with deleted scenes and outtakes. The disc also offers two Easter eggs that could be accessed by highlighting a small area under the "commentary" text (the two eggs offer some hilarious footage, which I don't believe we should be discussing here). For the record, the extras are not in PAL.

Dan in Real Life Blu-ray Movie, Overall Score and Recommendation 

A surprisingly good film with a little bit of everything for everyone Peter Hedges' Dan In Real Life is as entertaining as it is thought-provoking. At least this is the effect it had on me, it got me into thinking about a lot of things we forget to be passionate about after we reach a certain age. Juliette Binoche is as lovely and as convincing as ever. And so is Steve Carell, I assume it is impossible to be around him and be sad. The Blu-ray disc herein reviewed, courtesy of Icon Home Pictures, is practically identical to the Region-A release by Disney. Strongly Recommended.