Critic Reviews

Writer-director Martin does a stellar job of balancing sketch-comedy style laughs with genuinely touching moments.

by staying true to his offbeat brand of comedy, Martin has something compelling to say about moving on amidst — or perhaps because of — the humor of life.

Stay patient through those Seinfeldian stretches in which Martin isn’t so much acting as performing, and you’ll be treated to the bonus of some surprising emotional depth and poignancy.

Martin excels in the title role.

It’s missing bite, but you’ll appreciate its tender humors all the same.

Martin's Dean is more than funny enough to earn its keep, a gentle misfit tale that only gets baldly therapeutic at the very end.

As a result, the movie comes across like a bunch of “bits” when it really should be getting at deeper emotions and truths. Then again, Woody Allen, another comedian-turned-writer/director, ran into that same problem back at the beginning of his career. And he ended up doing okay.

Martin's a smooth enough director to make fuller and more ambitious pictures than Dean. This one's a promising start.

Dean has its moments. The cast is solid, and the story moves along smoothly. Slight though it may be, it’s a sweet enough tale, while it lasts.

I liked Dean. And I liked Martin’s direction. I just hope his next outing is a little more ambitious.