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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 by reclusive author Karen Eiffel. The only problem is that 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 make things funny. He also isn’t afraid to throw jokes away, so the laughs come naturally. He’s one of the few directors of recent years to keep Will Ferrell on a short leash, so he doesn’t over-egg the character comedy or hold on to gags too long. Despite the large number of heightened or completely over-the-top characters, the director doesn’t try to make too much of them so the comedy develops organically. He clearly feels for his players and his affection for them translates easily to the audience, so you understand the difficult author-character relationship.
Forster’s visual style is playful, using computer-generated effects to illustrate
Harold’s preoccupation with quantifying everything. So we see on-screen graphics that show his calculations, from pie-charts to running tallies of numbers. There are also flipping panels that show slightly different perspectives of the same events, which makes establishing shots more interesting than usual. The film is unusual in that the voice-over narration is integral to the plot, so it doesn’t feel intrusive and the director makes the most of its comic potential, having Will Ferrell pause just long enough for the importance of the disembodied voice’s words to take effect. Apparently Ferrell had an earpiece through which he could hear the narration, which means the timing is perfect. The various deaths Karen dreams up for Harold are played out with relish, as are his near-misses as Forster builds tension before puncturing it with humour. But the thing about his gimmicks is that they all serve the story, so you never feel like you’re bumping from one effect to the next. This makes for a funny, sharp hundred and thirteen minutes of cinematic entertainment.
Zach Helm’s screenplay is smart and insightful but not clever-clever. The central conceit of a man discovering he’s a character in a story may be a post-modern construct begging for critical appreciation, but Helm doesn’t make the concept his main focus. The story is very much about Harold and how he deals with the revelation. So the writing has real warmth and humanity because the writer clearly cares about his luckless leading man. He may be a sad sack, but he’s a loveable sad sack who only wakes up to the possibilities of living when his destiny is taken out of his hands. Helm is most interested in the way author and character relate to each other and illustrates the complexities of their relationships with ease, right down to their traumatic meeting. But he doesn’t ignore Harold’s relationship with Ana, making it clumsy and sweet. Many of the peripheral characters supply the obvious comic relief, like the beardy weirdy counsellor Harold goes to see or his Trekkie friend, but they aren’t overused. That being said, some of the parts are underwritten, such as Karen’s assistant Penny, who isn’t given chance to develop into a real person. The pacing is solid, balancing character development with incident, so you’re allowed to get to know the players, while Harold’s surreal experience plays out. The dialogue is sharp and witty rather than outright funny on most occasions, though there are some nice plays on words (like the hero bringing Ana flours). Karen Eiffel’s voice-over narration works because it is literary in tone and suggests the writer has greater knowledge of Harold’s life than he does. So it immediately sets the stage for conflict.
As Harold Crick, Will Ferrell proves he’s capable of more than buffooning and tomfoolery. He plays completely straight as the uptight tax inspector, but still showcases great comic timing. His deadpan delivery allows the script to speak for itself, instead of drowning under the weight of his OTT characterisation as is often the case with his performances. He comes across as extremely dull but ultimately well meaning, with the innocence of a child. This helps to make him extremely sympathetic, as does his gentle relationship with Ana. I can only hope for more straight roles from him.
Emma Thompson plays against type as stressed-out writer Karen Eiffel. There’s no English reserve or stiff upper lip. She’s a depressed, raddled and a sickly woman at the end of her tether. She takes her frustrations about her writer’s block out on everyone else and her constant state of tension results in an entirely appropriate twitchy, fidgety performance. She’s always hunched over, looking like she’s at death’s door - as well you might if you’d been thinking about how to kill a man for so long.
I really like Dustin Hoffman in the roles he’s chosen in the autumn of career. They’re less about playing The Method and more about having fun and doing stuff you enjoy. He has real twinkle when playing Professor Jules Hilbert, clearly lapping up the chance to play another endearing eccentric. He’s bluff and mischievous and shows nice comic delivery. Maggie Gyllenhaal is always effective as a love interest because she seems so cutesy and well, genuine. As Ana she’s bright, fizzy, spirited and fun – the complete antithesis of Harold and therefore the perfect partner for him. It’s a shame the same can’t be said for Queen Latifah as Karen’s assistant Penny, who tries hard but is fighting a losing battle in an underwritten role.
The soundtrack features an original score by Britt Daniel and Brian Ritzell that alternates traditional orchestral arrangements with electronic music and guitar motifs. So though the film opens with jaunty guitar and keyboard melodies with flurries of tambourine it veers towards emotive cello motifs to add emotional depth to certain scenes. In fact there’s a bit of a seventies’ flavour to the music throughout, using electric guitar, Hammond organ and backing singers knocking out a few oo-oos. This is reflected in the rest of the soundtrack, which leans heavily on British punk and new wave, most notably The Jam’s “That’s Entertainment”. It’s an eclectic mix, but it somehow hangs together.
“Stranger than Fiction” is a sweet, charming, funny and smart film. It showcases confident direction, innovative writing and some surprising performances. If you like your films character-led, clever and a little different from the norm then this should be just your cup of tea. It will make you smile laugh and maybe even cry in places. It’s a film I’d definitely recommend if you’re looking for something uplifting to watch.
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Comedy - Director: Tony Dow - Original Language: English - Classification: 12 years and over - Starring: John Challis, David Jason, Nicholas Lyndhurst, Tessa Peake-Jones, Gwyneth Strong
Comedy - Original Language: English - Classification: 12 years and over - Starring: Tessa Peake-Jones, Buster Merryfield, David Jason, Nicholas Lyndhurst
Comedy - Director: Richard Boden, Mandie Fletcher, Martin Shardlow - Original Language: English - Classification: 15 years and over - Starring: Hugh Laurie, Miranda Richardson, Stephen Fry, Brian Blessed, Tim McInnerny, Tony Robinson, Rowan Atkinson
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: £1.21 Availability: Usually dispatched within 1-2 business days...
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'...
Advantages: Easy to understand - documents ALL her life and her impact upon England as a ruler. Disadvantages: Some people might prefer a 'traditional' film adaptation.
Advantages: Witty, gritty, thrilling... the best gangster film I've seen in years. Disadvantages: A bit of a Deus ex machina ending, some predictable moments...negligable really
Entwife 08.06.2007 (04.02.2008)
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Jul 18th, 2007
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