Stranger Than Fiction (2006)

I.R.S. auditor Harold Crick suddenly finds himself the subject of narration only he can hear: narration that begins to affect his entire life, from his work, to his love-interest, to his death.

Jess’ Review

Sam’s quite the Will Ferrell fan, and whilst the guy’s done his fair share of sh-t movies, I too was intrigued to see him in a more serious role. I wasn’t sure he could do it. But I was wrong. The entire cast of Stranger Than Fiction are fantastic, the one element that truly bolsters and elevates what could’ve been yet another sh-t movie to add to Ferrell’s collection into something more. Stranger Than Fiction has a interesting concept. Harold Crick (Ferrell) hears a narrator in his head - voiced and later played by the wonderful Emma Thompson. But when the voice hints at his inevitable death, Crick has to find a way to save himself. It’s smart as it is fun. Perhaps a little gimmicky at times but a fresh way of storytelling in the cinematic realm. I’m sure it’s probably been done elsewhere too, but this was my first experience and I feel it worked well. It was charming in tone, often humorous and transitioned well between the ‘fiction’ and ‘reality’. In the ‘reality’ segments, we have Karen Eiffel (Thompson), the troubled yet successful author of Harold’s life. Thompson is spectacular. Having not seen her act in so long, I’d forgotten quite how much I admired her. She brings a wild-eyed, yet oft-times mature, sassiness to the role. Eiffel is complex and brutally honest, yet remains balanced and even quite the comedic presence. Thompson shines. The supporting cast are also brilliant. Dustin Hoffman’s English professor and Maggie Gyllenhaal’s fiesty baker-come-love interest completes the all-star cast. When the plot line stumbles, they’re there to help it back up. And unfortunately, the plot does stumble. There’s at times moments (for me at least) of disbelief. Even within the context of this literary world of Harold’s, some things seem overly convenient. Too easy. It’s not terrible, but it does eliminate any real suspense or tension. Like I’ve said, it weakens the plot and makes it predictable. You know where this film is headed, and at times I was impatient to see it arrive already. Stranger Than Fiction ended up being a simple film with a unique narrative. I had hoped for so much more, but put simply it drags. I was losing interest in the final quarter, and despite the excellent performances of our stellar cast, it  just couldn’t grip me. A shame.

6/10

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Sam’s Review

It’s refreshing to see Will Ferrell flex his acting chops as IRS agent Harold Crick, though it’s difficult not to imagine him sillier. More so because I watched the dreadful Daddy’s Home recently, which I’ll refrain from criticising too much, only because this is a review of Stranger than Fiction. Ferrell manages to pull off the various emotions that Harold experiences, while maintaining an innocent charm.

The film manages to capture the awkwardness of romance authentically. Though, romance wasn’t needed. It was filler, not crucial to the story. Plus, it didn’t seem to really make sense. Baker-with-a-cause Ana, played by Maggie Gyllenhaal, was a character with depth untapped. For example, she has strong, but possibly valid theories on taxation that we never delved into. It was belittling to the character to reduce her to a love interest.

The thrill of watching Dustin Hoffman perform was tarnished by the sexual assault allegations. His literary professor is compelling, but I also feel a little uneasy enjoying his acting. Which isn’t the film’s fault, it’s just my personal feelings. However, Emma Thompson’s troubled writer Karen is fantastic. She’s oddly eccentric, appearing to be wrapped up in her own world while analysing our one all at the same time. Though she borders on rudeness, her jaded nature is likeable.

It’s an intelligent film. On occasion the meta storytelling aspect approached obvious, yet for the most part it was clever. Watching Harold try to decipher his own story is endearing, as he does his best to calculate if it’s a comedy or tragedy. Though certain moments could do with raising the stakes a little, as parts lack a sense of urgency.

The film comes across bland at times, as it’s meant to. There’s a somber beauty to it. Though it’s easy to mistake the film for dull in the beginning. Yet, the concept keeps me interested.

The theme of life and death is predominant in the second half of the film, with Harold seeming to wonder what it means to really live? The answer seems to be different for everyone, as it should be, once I’d thought about it. And there’s a beauty to that, the idea of living life to its fullest, that is touched upon but never fully realised.

As previously stated, it is a clever film, that asks a few questions about life. Unfortunately the answers don’t seem fleshed out enough. And romance was unneeded, as well as played out. But, Ferrell and the rest of the cast are lovable, and the concept of each of us living our own story is charming.

6.5/10