(Seen on 5/20/08) I was fairly stoked to see this film. It had received good reviews and I like Steve Carrell as an actor. I was expecting to see to a smart, well made romantic dramedy. The film is almost there, it has a lot of the right ingredients, but ultimately, it never clicked for me. Too much of the film felt false, so I couldn't buy into this slightly ridiculous story.

Carrell is Dan Burns, an advice columnist, with three daughters and a dead wife. It's time for the Burns family reunion, so he throws his daughters in the car and heads out to the Rhode Island coast to his parents picture perfect home. On a trip into town, he meets-cute with a beautiful woman in a book store. When she asks him to help find her some books, he pretends to work there and helps her find some books. I appreciated that the rouse didn't blow up in his face, like so many films, but instead he plays it off, and the two have a wonderful talk, where he tells her all about his life. Marie is the first woman he's met, that's truly interested him since his wife died a few years before. Despite the obvious connection, she suddenly decides to take off. Before she drives away, Dan gets up the courage to ask her out and that's when she tells him she's already seeing someone.

This being a predictable romantic comedy, they meet up a short while later at Dan's parent's house, where he discovers his younger, irresponsible brother is dating her. This leads to many awkward moments between Dan, Marie and the rest of the family. There are a number of ridiculous movie-only moments; such as Dan and Marie ending up in the shower together, while Dan's oldest daughter is having a heart-to-heart with Marie. So much of film doesn't feel right, this is an only-in-the-movies kind of family; the whole weekend, they're constantly doing something like playing backyard football, practicing yoga together, or having a family talent show. This family is too picture perfect. Diane Wiest and John Mahoney, who've played parents in a combined 612 movies, once again show up as the all knowing, sweet as pie mom and dad, who always have exactly the right thing to say.

The movie is fairly entertaining, it is full of great actors who take these unreal situations and sell them to the best of their abilities. Carrell is his usual awkwardly-charming, hilarious self. Juliette Binoche doesn't have to stretch too much to be the perfect woman, she's beautiful and enchanting. Dane Cook, who plays younger brother Mitch, is the only one I really didn't like in the film; I've never bought him as an actor and proves again he doesn't have the chops. Writer/director Peter Hedges, has created a film that's utterly predictable, where the jokes are telegraphed from way off, with the whole thing playing a bit too on the nose. Dan in Real Life doesn't offer a single unique moment, but the caliber of the actors makes the film works as a cliche' riddled only in movie-land type fashion. - Grade: C+

After feeling like I saw the Oscar winning Mystic River, a kidnap-thriller, taking place in Boston, based on a Dennis Lehane novel, not too long ago; Gone Baby Gone didn't seem appealing. It looked like pretty much the same thing, only it was directed by Ben Affleck, not Clint Eastwood, who I consider a bit of a film-making genius. Affleck, who after busting out on the scene, writing and starring in Good Will Hunting, had devolved into stumbling his way through some horrible big budget action flicks, then took a break for a few years. I didn't have much faith in his directing abilities based on that resume. But after receiving mostly rave reviews, I decided I should see it for myself.

The film is extremely similar to Mystic River, they shot in the same neighborhoods, featuring the same kind of characters. Only instead of seeing a kidnapping from the point-of-view of the father, we're seeing it from the investigator's. Casey Affleck, in possibly the performance of his life, plays Patrick Kenzie, a Southie-local with a knack for snooping. When the missing girl's parents hire him as a private investigator, he gets full access to the case and cooperation from the police, which they're initially not happy about. He has a checkered past, which helps him get information from the local lowlifes that won't talk to the cops. Along for the ride is his partner and girlfriend, played by Michelle Monagahan. They catch the scent of a trail and follow it to a local drug-dealer, who from the evidence they've collected, appears to be the kidnapper.

Just about when you think they have it all figured out, the film does a complete 180, leaving the viewer and the characters fully confused. It picks up a few months later, and they're no closer to the truth. They've been told to leave the case, but he's obsessed with figuring out what happened. Starting to respect him for his ruthlessness are a couple of cops, played by Ed Harris and character actor John Ashton. They bring him in on some other cases that may be involved with the kidnapping, where he gets into a few nasty situations, but finds some new clues and new suspects, leading him down a completely different path than before. This being a mystery-thriller, of course not all the characters are telling the truth, which leads to a bit of a surprise ending, and some major moral choices for Patrick.

After having some reservations about seeing this film, because of it's extreme similarities to Mystic River, I believe that Gone Baby Gone, is the superior film. The acting in both films is extremely well done, top-notch performances from everyone involved. But I think Gone, is a better focused, more entertaining film. Affleck's intimate knowledge of Boston, helps give the film a more of an insider's perspective, where Eastwood's seemed more stand-offish. They're both excellent films, you really couldn't go wrong with either one, and if you're into a depressing night with Boston, you could have a hell of a double feature. What makes the difference is, that I don't think I'll ever revisit Mystic River, but I can see giving Gone Baby Gone another viewing. Most of all, the film stands as an impressive directing debut for Ben Affleck, and I'm highly interested in seeing what film he does next. - Grade: B+