Sometimes you start watching a film that you're not really sure about. And then it surprises you. This was my experience with 'Dan in Real Life'.
I thought this film was wonderful. It is so rare to find a film that mixes so much humour and warmth without being cloying or farcical. But everything about this film clicks both in terms of storytelling and cast. You know you're onto a winner when you have an actor of John Mahoney's quality in a very small role.
The fact is that this could happen in real life and the results would probably be much the same as they are on screen. I know some people take the approach of "I see real life everyday, I go to the cinema to escape it" but this film is very much a celebration of family life and love and those things are just as important as big budget blockbusters with CGI galore.
