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 to hear a British woman's voice narrating his actions and thoughts 'with a better vocabulary' as well. More alarmingly for him is this narrator soon mentiions that his death is imminent.
Convinced that he's not crazy, Harold attempts to track down the author of this novel with the help of a professor in literary fiction, Professor Jules Hilbert (Dustin Hoffman) in an attempt to prevennt his death from happening. The novelist mentioned is Karen Eiffel (played by Emma Thompson) a chain smoking, basket-case, who is intent on killing off Harold Crick, the character of her latest novel, once she can overcome her writer's block. Little does she know at this point is that Harold Crick does indeed exist. In the midst of this Maggie Gyllenhaal stars as Ana Pascal, a fiesty, anarchist baker who Harold audits and falls in love with. It's all a question of whether or not Harold can prevent his death being written and whether he is destined for happiness or tragedy.
Of course this is not the first film that teeters on the fine line of fiction and reality, examples in recent years would include Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind, Being John Malkovich, and the Science of Sleep. However, Zach Helm's story still feels refreshingly unique and original. In addition, the characters are rich with depth and the cast all give great performances that we would expect from such a seasoned cast. In my opinion Will Farrell (known for his outlandish comedic antics in films such as Old School and Anchorman) gives the performance of his career as the poignant, bemused Harold Crick. Will is able to produce different levels of emotion in such a convincing fashion that you'll find yourself rooting for his character within the first five minutes of the film.
I think that director Marc Forster does a great job with creating a distinct visual theme throughout the film and the mise-en-scene of many scenes stand out for example Dave's (played by Tony Hale) somewhat hip, futuristic-type 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.
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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: £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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Sep 1st, 2009
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