A Review by Phil Calabro
2006, Columbia Pictures, Dir. Marc Forster - Starring Will Ferrell, Maggie Gyllenhaal, Dustin Hoffman, Emma Thompson, Queen Latifah, Tony Hale, Tom Hulce, Linda Hunt, Denise Hughes, Andrew Rothenberg, Kristen Chenoweth, Keith Kupferer, Rengin Altay
After 'Talladega Nights', I was worried whether Will Ferrell's audience appeal would continue to wane. But then a project came his way, which allowed the comedian to reconfigure his shtick, develop a new character, and find new ground in the drama department. Director Mark Forster, whose credits range from the haunting 'Monster's Ball' to the splendidly magical 'Finding Neverland', combines elements from both tragedies and comedies to create the whimsical and spontaneous 'Stranger than Fiction'. Sketching a defined line between the two genres, the film takes hold of a genuine idea and makes it interesting from beginning to end. You'll find much to laugh about, but don't be shocked if you end up with a box of tissues in your lap. It gives us neither an existential yarn (like 'I Heart Huckabees') nor a Farrelly Brothers rendition. Like life - whose twists and turns are narrated with great precision - Forster's film is unpredictable and a fantastic voyage of sorts.
Harold Crick (Ferrell) is a plain vanilla gentleman whose life lacks tremendous spice. He wears the same suits every morning, brushes his teeth in the same pattern, and makes the same commute to his job at the IRS each day - counting footsteps included. Harold doesn't want to have "fun", but through some unfortunate events, his wristwatch is going to have some. Crick wakes up one morning only to find his life being oddly narrated by a refined English woman. As he attempts to audit a vociferous yet attractive baker Ana Pascal (Gyllenhaal), the voice mocks his stiff nature and prevents him from doing his job. The voice is that of Kay Eiffel (Thompson), a depressed author who unknowingly used Harold as the main character to her new masterpiece. But Eiffel is stuck with writer's block, because she doesn't know how to kill Harold. But when our poor protagonist learns this, he consults literary professor Jules Hebert (Hoffman) for help to find this woman. Just as Crick is learning to enjoy life to its fullest, Eiffel has him marked for his impending death. He learns he must find her before it's too late.
Ferrell subdues his tangential brand of humor for a low-key role, and the turn is greatly appreciated. This is, to date, the comedian's deepest emotional work to his record, and enough of an apology for his lame summer spectacle. Despite his character's obvious differences with the entire cast, Ferrell exhibits a unique chemistry with everyone, ranging from his feeble attempts at romance with Gyllenhaal, and thought sessions with Hoffman. Herein lays the potential for another comedian who can successfully exhibit skills in dramatic pieces. Gyllenhaal is a sweet yet spicy companion for Ferrell's Crick, exposing feistiness throughout the runtime. Moreover, she is a strong and developed love interest, which is lacking in so many films today. Dustin Hoffman returns to his lovable quirky psyche for the role of Dr. Jules Hibbert, a wise-cracking yet somewhat oblivious professor who wouldn't seem like the right catalyst for Ferrell. Emma Thompson is underused yet effective as the depressed Eiffel, and Queen Latifah's role as her assistant seems completely misplaced.
Director Marc Forster constructs his movie much like Harold Crick's life - adding acute mental visuals into the final cut, as to further explain something much simpler. Every locale, city street, or crowd is cut and trimmed to minimalist perfection, to the degree that is everything is detailed in a very thoughtful fashion. As Harold makes his way to the bus stop, Thompson's omniscient voice carefully notes the way he ties his necktie, leaving the audience to actually ponder about our own little habits. It's Forster's tiring scène work that leaves the final product to be a simplistic blank canvas for us to study. It argues the choices given by life, its drive, and the need to break new ground. Moreover, 'Stranger than Fiction' is a cross between comedy and tragedy, an argument that the story itself tries to understand. After the credits roll, you'll smile - you'll get your happy ending. What it is, I won't say, but it will surprise. Best of all, 'Fiction's happy ending not only satisfies, but justifies itself. That, quite simply, justified the purpose of me even seeing the film.
'Stranger than Fiction' is a short artistic work that never becomes pretentious or too bland, never loses a comedic opportunity, and can hit some heartstrings if you're willing to open up. Ferrell and the cast please, and I strongly suggest you take a wide open mind into the theater with you.
