Stranger Than Fiction is a quirky good date movies. Starring Will Ferrell as an IRS agent, the movie is warm in appeal and conventional in its approach. It has a sweet, novel approach which leaves the viewer satisfied.
A hapless IRS agent named Harold Crick (Ferrell) discovers that his life is being narrated by the British-accented voice of a well-known author (Emma Thompson), who casually notes his impending demise. He seeks help from a professor of literature (Dustin Hoffman) to understand his predicament, all while slowly falling in love with a baker (Maggie Gyllenhaal). All this narrative is illustrated visually in a convincing style.
The joy of this film is watching the tongue-tied, socially inept IRS guy fall in love. The character becomes not only lovable but heroic. Harold hasn’t a picture on the walls of his stark apartment, but he understands the geometric balance of every line in the place. To him, kitchen cabinets and countertops are less real surfaces than blueprints of possible constructions.
It's a clever script with some very sweet moments. Maggie Gyllenhaal is flawless as the love interest. Ferrell has no problem in making the transition from comedian to serious actor. Dustin Hoffman’s character's quirky humor is child's play at this point for the veteran, but a select few scenes between him and Ferrell are extremely satisfying.
Scripted by first-timer Zach Helm and directed by Marc Forster, Stranger Than Fiction explores the struggles of a human heart with clever complexity. The movie is odd and eccentric, but in the end it finds its heart. |
