Advantages: A great straight performance from Ferrell, sharp direction and a smart script. Disadvantages: Some underwritten roles.
Harold Crick is probably the most boring man on the planet. He’s a tax inspector who can’t stop counting things and sticks rigidly to the same routine day in and day out. That is until he starts hearing a woman’s voice narrating his every move. He starts to question his sanity so goes to see a psychiatrist who sends him to see eccentric literature professor Jules Hilbert. It soon becomes apparent that Harold is in fact a character in a story written ... ...her characters always die at the end of her stories. But Harold has just met feisty baker Ana and finally has something to live for…
“Finding Neverland” director Marc Forster proves equally confident helming a post-modern existentialist comedy as a period biopic. He shoots with style and confidence; his visuals are always clear and crisp and he has the requisite timing for comedy. His editing is snappy and he cuts away at just the right moment to ...
afy9mab 18.07.2007
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Ciao members have rated this review on average: very helpful Review of Stranger Than Fiction (DVD)
Advantages: Satisfyingly intellectual, Original premise, Great performance from Ferrell Disadvantages: The romance didn't quite work for me
Stranger Than Fiction (2006) (FILM ONLY REVIEW) Genre: Comedy/Drama
Certificate: 12A (UK), PG-13 (USA)
Running time: 113 minutes
Director: Marc Forster
Writer: Zach Helm
Main Cast:
Will Ferrell – Harold Crick
Emma Thompson – Kay Eiffel
Maggie Gyllenhaal – Ana Pascal
Dustin Hoffman – Prof. Jules Hilbert
Queen Latifah – Penny Escher
“Stranger than Fiction” is a bit of a hard film to categorise. Part comedy and part drama, there is also a ... ...based on a simple yet intriguing and (please forgive the pun) novel premise. It brings to mind a number of other films, notably Charlie Kaufman’s “Adaptation” and “Being John Malkovich”, with which it shares a metaphysical element, existential themes and intellectual ambitions. However, “Stranger than Fiction” does not quite reach the same levels of complexity as these films – it appears instead to be a Kaufman film for people who aren’t smart enough ...
Collingwood21 17.06.2007
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Ciao members have rated this review on average: very helpful Review of Stranger Than Fiction (DVD)
Advantages: Good film, very good acting. Disadvantages: Quite predictable.
Title: Stranger Than Fiction
--------------------------------------------
Cast: Will Ferrell- Harrold Crick
Emma Thompson- Karen Eiffel
Maggie Gyllenhaal- Ana Pascal
Dustin Hofman- Jools Hilbert
Queen Latifa- Penny Escher
Director: Marc Forster
-------------------------
The Plot
-------------------------
Harold Crick is an IRS man who leads a pretty normal life. His life is run by numbers and he does the same thing every day at the same ... ...voice, the even weirder thing is, that this woman's voice is describing him and everything he is doing or is about to do. He goes to a shrink and they say that what he is describing is schizophrenia, he is adamant that it's not. The voice is not telling him what to do; she is explaining what he is about to do or what he has just done. Then one day whilst standing at the bus stop, his 'narrator' starts to talk about his imminent death. He needs help ...
DixieChick10 26.10.2007 (27.10.2007)
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Ciao members have rated this review on average: very helpful Review of Stranger Than Fiction (DVD)
Advantages: Very funny, great story Disadvantages: I can't say Will Ferrell is an idiot anymore
Going against the grain of everyone I know I can't stand Will Ferrell, (or Will Ferret as I call him due to his tiny eyes. I also hate ferrets, it all fits.) I hate the type of crappy, simple-minded comedies that he stars in and I avoid his movies now. However, I saw a trailer for _Stranger Than Fiction_ and I was intrigued. He didn't seem to be playing the same dumb, slap-stick character and the film seemed to have a good story. The fact Dustin ... ...fact the DVD cost me a nice £1 new off the internet swung it for me. The film is about Harold Crick (Will Ferrell), Harold Crick is an IRS agent. He is a very introverted, lonely man who does nothing but work. He counts everything and his only pass-time is mathematics. As an IRS agent he is not well liked and has only one friend who he only talks to briefly in work. His life starts to change as he hears a narrators voice in his head. The voice seems ...
Phelthew 12.07.2008
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Ciao members have rated this review on average: very helpful Review of Stranger Than Fiction (DVD)
Advantages: A decent cast, director and storyline Disadvantages: It's hard to accept Will Ferrell in a Serious role
I've always found that films with Will Ferrell in tend to have the best clips in the advert. It seemed odd then that he had teamed up with Dustin Hoffman, Emma Thompson and Maggie Gyllenhaal, my first thoughts were perhaps this would be a different type of Ferrell performance. Having seen the adverts it seemed a far more serious film than most of Ferrell's back catalogue and while I started watching it with an open mind, part of me was thinking whether ... ...Crick, an IRS agent who does everything to a set routine, all set by his ultra reliable watch. One day though something changes and suddenly Crick can hear a narrator (Emma Thompson) talking about his life. As anyone would be this freaks him out a little and causes him to seek help. Only instead of trying the methods proposed by a psychiatrist, he turns instead to a literature professor, Jules Hilbert (Dustin Hoffman), who tries to help him determine ...
Andy.mack 06.04.2007
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Ciao members have rated this review on average: very helpful Review of Stranger Than Fiction (DVD)
Advantages: Quirky, Charming Disadvantages: Difficult to get into, Not as much of a comedy element as expected
I came across the film 'Stranger than Fiction' one night last week when I was bored and flicking through the movie channels on Sky tv. When I read the little synopsis that Sky provide for each film, I must admit it did not strike me as my kind of film but I gave it a go because I love Will Ferrell movies.
The film centres around Harold Crick (Will Ferrell), who lives an excruciatingly routine and boring life as an auditor for the IRS. Crick suddenly ... ...his life as it happens. As he completes an action, the narrator will duly describe in detail what is occuring.
The film cuts between Harold and the real-life narrator, who is a chain smoking recluse called Karen Eiffel (Emma Thompson) that is suffering from writers block and is being followed around by an assistant, Penny (Queen Latifah) that has been employed by the publisher. We discover that Eiffel is an author that specialises in killing off ...
shanediablo 14.07.2008
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Ciao members have rated this review on average: very helpful Review of Stranger Than Fiction (DVD)
Advantages: Original storyline, good cast, good acting, Disadvantages: None
I decided to buy this DVD after seeing a trailer for the movie on another DVD I got recently, the storyline sounded different and it intrigued me, so when I got an HMV e-voucher, I rushed to purchase this.
The film stars Will Ferrell, known usually for his roles in comedy movies such as The Anchorman and Taladega Nights. This movie is definately not as funny (certainly not in the usual openly slapstick way) as his other movies and I wouldn't purchase ... ...even though there's a slightly mis-leading quote from the Daily Mirrror on the front of the DVD box saying that its 'one of the comedies of the year' (presumably missing the word 'best' but whatever), I wouldn't treat it as a comedy, its more of a sort of philosophical movie, I would say.
Anyway, to explain, the storyline of the movie is that tax man Harold Crick (played by Will Ferrell), leads a pretty boring life, doing the same things every day, ...
IzzyS 12.08.2007
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Ciao members have rated this review on average: very helpful Review of Stranger Than Fiction (DVD)
Advantages: Well written, Great Cast, Excellant Acting, Keeps your attention. Disadvantages: none
Stranger than Fiction - I walked into Blockbusters picked it up and got it. Id never heard of it before and I didn't actually have it on my to watch list so I got it and here's my review! x
""The Film""
Harold Crick is a lonely Taxman. For the past twelve years everything has been the same, everything is precise in his life. The amount of times he brushes his teeth, the way he does his tie, the time he has on a coffee break. His repetitive routine ... ...little strange but nothing completely out of the ordinary. That was of course until one Wednesday. As Harold Crick went about his normal way of getting ready for work, he hears a voice while brushing his teeth. The voice wasn't someone behind him, it wasn't his toothbrush. It was a narration, a narration to what Harold Crick was doing.
Thinking he was going a little crazy Harold confides in his friend Dave, whilst filing he asks Dave whether he ...
bmthkatie 18.11.2007
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Ciao members have rated this review on average: very helpful Review of Stranger Than Fiction (DVD)
Advantages: Great concept and lead performance. Disadvantages: Opting for sentiment over power.
_Stranger Than Fiction_ is a story about Harold Crick and his wristwatch. Harold Crick, played by Will Ferrell, is an IRS tax man whose life runs as predictably as the wristwatch he uses to regulate it. This all changes when he starts to hear a voice inside his head narrating his existence, eventually telling Harold of his imminent death. And so the story unfolds... and this is a particularly excellent story. It's an inventive concept and results ... ...those who aren't fans of Ferrell as the balls-out comedian of his more advertised films, then you might find yourself drawn to this side of him. As Harold, he perfectly toes the line between the deadpan banalities of his life and the spontaneous outbursts that come from his situation. He lends the character a certain amount of endearment with his awkwardness, and this is the film's real strong point. It hinges on the likeability of Ferrell's character, ...
colossal421 28.07.2008
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Ciao members have rated this review on average: helpful Review of Stranger Than Fiction (DVD)
Advantages: Clear sound and image Disadvantages: Not my idea of fun
I got this DVD because reviews said it was clever and funny. After twenty minutes of giving it a chance it had not even raised a smirk or a chuckle so I skipped through the rest in case I had been missing something, but found I had not
I think the story concerned a character who was tax man, Harold (Will Ferrell), out of a book being written by a woman author (Emma Thompson). Other characters came and went as they tried to help him understand why ... ...the text, or as they cropped up in this chapter of his life
The set-up might seem amusing to some but struck me as a pointless contrivance. The dialogue consisted of questions, apologies, or responses from Harold or the other protagonists, but was punctuated by pauses which seemed unnecessary and rather prolonged. Perhaps this was a reference to the seconds ticking away on Harold's unusual multifunctional watch, which was repeatedly portrayed as ...
tranx 08.08.2007
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Advantages: Liked the plotline. Quality acting. Brilliant! Disadvantages: Can't think of any
...enjoyable I decided to watch Stranger Than Fiction.
It turned out to be an excellent decision, becoming one of my favourite movies, for now.
It begins introducing the character Harold Crick (Will Ferrell) who is an IRS agent for auditing. He has a cringe worthy daily routine of counting teeth brushing strokes, number of steps taken, and catching the bus just as it's about to leave stop. All this is kept to plan by his trusty, somewhat asthetically ... ...until one day he hears a perfectly accurate narration of his actions, by a female voice with a English accent.
The voice actually belongs to a novelist, Karen Eiffel (Emma Thompson), who is trying to put an ending to her come back novel by killing off her main character, Harold Crick. It's a potential masterpiece, but she has writers block and is constantly thinking of tragic way of dying. So the publishers send an assistant, Penny Escher (Queen ...
superja 06.04.2007
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Quick review of Stranger Than Fiction (DVD)
This film delivers a number of subtle fantastic perforamnces guided by a superb script. It is filled with moments of glorious humour and genuinely touching moments. Last night after watching this my well established top 3 films (Amelie, Gardne STate and How to Marry a Millionaire) became a top 4, I heartily recommend. ...
mollbird 28.04.2007
Ciao members have rated this review on average: helpful Review of Stranger Than Fiction (DVD)
Advantages: Different film, clever with a good plot. Disadvantages: Might disappoint Ferrell fans who expect it to be like his other work.
II Loved this film! It was nice to see Ferrell playing a more serious part. (I was under the impression that he might not play a serious role very well.) However I think his performance in this was good. I think the film was clever, maybe a little disappointing for his usual fans. I liked the graphics and I loved the fact that there were points in the film where you didn't really like his character as so often in films the protagonist is there to ... ...their happy ending. Maggie Gyllenhaal also put in a good performance, although i didn't always believe the chemistry between her and Ferrell. There was an element of 'star crosses lovers' in the plot as Ferrel plays an IRS auditor whilst Gyllenhaal believes she shouldn't have to pay all her taxes, their belief systems are so different it seems unlikely they will ever fit together. However, this is a favourite element of stories therefore as the audience ...
Logan88 29.05.2009
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Ciao members have rated this review on average: helpful Review of Stranger Than Fiction (DVD)
Advantages: A unique, intriguing and well-written story with some powerful performances. Disadvantages: the ending has been considered by some to be too neatly tied up.
Stranger than Fiction (2006) directed by Marc Forster is a somewhat dark comedy centred around a man called Harold Crick (played by Will Farrell.) Harold leads a relatively mundane and lonely life as an IRS auditor. Everyday he wakes up at the same time, ties his tie in the same knot, gets the same bus, eats the same lunch alone and then makes his way home to eat dinner at his single one-bedroom apartment. However, this all changes when he starts ... ...apartment. The original score and soundtrack compliments the film's story, with numbers from Spoon, The Jam's 'Entertainment' and M83's 'In Church', among others. All in all, Stranger than Fiction is a film that sucks you in with an intriguing plot line and keeps you immersed until the very end. ...
robtb88 01.09.2009
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Advantages: I can tell others not to watch it Disadvantages: Too many to sumerise
I love Will Ferrell, and i have loved all films he has been in, as i usually think i have the same sort of humour as his films.
This is one of the worst films i have seen. I bought it on DVD as i didnt see it at the cinema, and thought anything with will ferrell would be good. I watched it with my girlfriend and her sister, and i had to appologise to them afterwards for making them watch it.
All the way through the film i was saying, any minute ... ...when i said it through the credits.
I cant think of a catagory this film does well in, its not realistic, its not a good love story, its not funny, it was a complete waste of time.
I even considered giving the dvd away as i didnt want to have it in my collection.
All i had heard about the film was that it was someone writing a book and whatever they wrote came true to this person. Now to me, that is setting up a comedy, it is not in my opinion ...
mathomas13 21.10.2008
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Much was written about Will Ferrell's first "dramatic role" as Harold Crick, an IRS ... more
auditor who begins hearing a voice narrating his life. ButStranger Than Fictionis hardly a drama. However, what Ferrell does--like Jim Carrey before him inThe Truman Sh...
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Much was written about Will Ferrell's first "dramatic role" as Harold Crick, an IRS ... more
auditor who begins hearing a voice narrating his life. ButStranger Than Fictionis hardly a drama. However, what Ferrell does--like Jim Carrey before him inThe Truman Sh...
Postage & Packaging: Free! Availability: Usually dispatched within 24 hours...
Will Ferrell stars as Harold Crick, a lonely tax man whose world is turned upside-down ... more
when he starts hearing a mysterious voice narrating his life. With the help of Professor Jules Hilbert, the bewildered and hilariously resistant Harold discovers he'...
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