| Rating: |
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| Diorella Manzano |
| Stranger Than Fiction USA, 2006 [Marc Foster] Will Ferrell, Emma Thompson, Maggie Gyllenhaal, Dustin Hoffman Drama / Comedy |
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| 19th November 2006 |
| �Little did he know that this seemingly innocuous act would lead to his imminent death.�
Little indeed does IRS agent Harold Crick (Ferrell) know that he is the main character in author Karen Eiffel�s (Thompson) latest novel, and that the simple act of re-setting his wristwatch would set off a chain of events leading to Harold�s discovery that his life is in Karen�s hands, or in this case, her typewriter. On a seemingly ordinary Wednesday morning, Harold begins to hear an unknown narrator describing the monotony of his daily routine, done with excruciating numerical precision from the number of brush strokes when brushing his teeth to the number of seconds it takes to run to the bus stop. After his wristwatch decides to malfunction, Harold asks for the correct time so that he can re-set his watch. At this moment he hears the narrator�s vague mention of his imminent death, which leads him to take action and seek the help of a psychiatrist, who insists that he must be schizophrenic. Insisting otherwise, Harold asks for alternative advice and is referred to Professor Jules Hilbert (Hoffman), a professor of literature. Faced with the prospect of his death, Harold is advised by Professor Hilbert to �live� his life. He is also advised to figure out whether the narrative is a comedy or a tragedy, which the professor believes will aid in the discovery of which author is responsible for the narrative. Following Hilbert�s advice, we see Harold go through a series of changes and experiences that bring him further and further out of his solitary existence to one in which no man is an island. He even develops a promising relationship with Ana (Gyllenhaal), a baker he is auditing and on whom he has developed a romantic interest. Just when Harold decides that the narrative in his head must be a comedy (as opposed to a tragedy), he makes the discovery in Hilbert�s office that the narrative voice in his head is that of Karen Eiffel, thanks to an interview airing on a television set in the professor�s office. Hilbert informs him that Karen Eiffel is known for always killing the main character in each of her novels. Given the recent changes in his life, Harold feels even more urgency to track Karen Eiffel down and convince her not to kill him. In this witty sci-fi/comedy, we see a different side of Will Ferrell as he plays a character with more depth and intelligence than his previous roles in movies such as Anchorman, Old School and Elf. Harold is angry, frustrated and confused as a result of this strange narrative voice invading his sanctity. He is also loveably clueless when it comes to human interaction, sometimes even coming across as shy. As we see Harold develop into a person with attachments to other people and develop interests in other things besides counting the number of brush strokes as he brushes his teeth, we truly want Harold to live so that he can experience more of his life. The audience can�t help but feel sympathy for the man and cheer him on. I must say that Will Ferrell as Harold Crick has caused me to develop more respect for his acting. The movie also boasts an excellent supporting cast. Maggie Gyllenhaal puts in a great performance as Ana Pascal, the relatively free-spirited baker who captures Harold Crick�s heart. She does �free-spirited� without seeming too perky or even flaky � a free spirit with an edge. Emma Thompson plays the eccentric writer very well and Dustin Hoffman�s performance as Professor Hilbert is reminiscent of his character Bernard in I Heart Huckabees. In a surprise appearance, Queen Latifah plays Karen Eiffel�s no-nonsense assistant. The movie itself is cleverly-executed, and the strength is in the acting. There are no dull moments because each scene in the movie contributes to the ending. Without giving anything away, one should pay attention to the subtleties because some scenes may seem unimportant but in truth contribute significantly to the film. The wristwatch, though inanimate, is just as important a character in the story as Harold Crick. This is a rare type of comedy that not only makes the audience laugh, but also has something to say. The ending sequence is particularly well-done and delivers the message quite well without being sappy. |
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