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Stranger
Than Fiction
(2006)
Stranger Than Fiction is an engaging comedy/drama
with a clever premise and a a strong cast.
Harold Crick (Will Ferrell) is a lonely IRS auditor who wakes
up one day hearing a woman's voice (Emma Thompson) narrating
his life with more awareness of who he is than even he has,
a voice that only he can hear. After the voice begins to talk
about his imminent demise, he seeks the help of a professor
of literature (Dustin Hoffman) to understand what kind of story
he's in. Meanwhile, he begins to fall in love with a woman
he's auditing (Maggie Gyllenhaal) as the knowledge that he
may die pushes him into living a fuller life.
Director Marc Forster (whose
previous film, the reality-bending Stay, was on my
list of the top ten films of 2005) takes the clever premise
and constructs a good film where the fantastic is sometimes
right around the corner from the ordinary. Although it doesn't
bend reality like his previous film, it does explore the nature
of reality for writers and their creations. The script by Zach
Helm (Other
People's Business) is clever and engaging, and is stylistically
a cousin to the literary genre of magical realism, particularly
in how the fantastic elements are never explained but are simply
meant to be accepted as part of the story. While it's not an
entirely serious film, it's less of a comedy than trailers
make it appear, and the humor that's there flows naturally
from the absurdity of the situation rather than any hijinks.
It's also quite a romantic film at heart, whose point would
seem to be that it's important to live our lives fully whether
or not we know how or when we'll die.
I'll be honest. Will Ferrell is an actor whose comedic style
normally doesn't appeal to me. However, in this film, he's well
cast as an everyman whose life takes a turn away from the ordinary.
He mostly plays it straight and reveals himself to be a better
actor that his more comedic films would suggest. Maggie Gyllenhaal
is completely charming as the woman he falls in love with. Emma
Thompson is excellent as the cantankerous author with writer's
block who is unaware that her plan to kill her next book's protagonist
will cost a very real man his life, and she's well-matched by
Queen Latifah as the expert hired by her publisher to help her
get past the writer's block. Dustin Hoffman gives one of his
best performances in ages as the literary professor. Tony Hale
has a funny turn as Harold's geeky IRS auditor friend while Tom
Hulce and Linda Hunt have funny cameos as psychiatrists.
Forster and production
designer Kevin Thompson (Stay) make good use of Chicago
locations (including some very interesting buildings), and
the overcast look helps cinematographer Roberto Schaefer (Stay)
play against the typical bright look of a comedy, which actually
fits the film's themes. The film features a good score by Britt
Daniel and Brian Reitzell, and also uses songs to
good effect.
Stranger Than Fiction is an entertaining film with engaging
characters and a thought provoking premise. If you're normally
put off by Ferrell, don't let that stop you from seeing it.
He may just surprise you.
-Danielle
Ní Dhighe
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All contents ©
2004-2009 Thoughtsonfilm.com |
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Director:
Marc
Forster
Writer: Zach
Helm
Starring: Will
Ferrell, Emma Thompson, Maggie Gyllenhaal, Dustin Hoffman, Queen
Latifah, Tom Hulce, Linda Hamilton, Tony Hale
Distributor: Sony
Pictures
Runtime: 113
min
Rating: PG-13
Release Date: November
10, 2006
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