Stranger Than Fiction is an interesting fantasy tale starring Emma Thompson as an author writing about a man played by Will Ferrell, and he happens to be a real person. Ferrell’s character can hear the author’s narration in his head, and he quickly catches on that he’s part of someone’s story. When he learns that the writer intends to kill him at the end of the book, he frantically tries to find a way to stop her.

This movie is not doing as well as expected at the box office, and I think the main reason is that the previews gave away too much of the story. They show off some of the best parts and leave only a few surprises. It still doesn’t give away the ending, but after having seen both the trailers and the full length film, I think this movie has been overadvertised. Of course, Borat does offer some tough competition.

Ferrell’s character is a very dull IRS agent who takes a liking to a tattooed young bakery owner played by the always sexy Maggie Gyllenhaal. When he shows up to audit her, she makes a big fus that actually increases his attraction. A romance soon develops between them, even if it was a little too quick. I think the chemistry still worked between a numbers freak like Ferrell’s IRS agent and a free-spirited soul like Gyllenhaal’s character.

As for the parts where Ferrell hears the voices, you’ve seen most of them in the previews. Ferrell decides to see a psychiatrist about the voices, but he refuses to believe that he’s a schizophrenic. Instead, he goes to visit an eccentric literature specialist played by Dustin Hoffman. Not knowing what else to do with Ferrell, Hoffman decides to have him start testing his own story to see if it is a comedy or tragedy. The purpose is to weigh out the plot elements enough to try and determine who the potential author might be.

I thought this movie offered a delightful blend of romantic comedy with a touch of science fiction, sort of like Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind, but less visual. Don’t go into this expecting Ferrell to play another enthusiastic character like Ricky Bobby, or you’ll be disappointed.

I’m glad to see Will Ferrell demonstrating his acting ability as he continues to become the next Jim Carrey. He does a great job in this movie and he’s well on his way to being taken seriously. I’ve always thought comedians were the best actors because it’s so hard not to laugh at things. Look at some of the silly stuff Tom Hanks used to do early in his career, and now he’s one of the most well-respected actors working today.

Marc Forster directed this film based on a script by Zack Helm. I loved the attention paid to detail in this movie, and this is a reflection of both a good screenwriter and a creative director. Each character has little personality quirks that are displayed on screen, and these subtle actions often help define the characters better than any amount of dialogue they might speak. Forster previously directed the wonderful Finding Neverland, while Helm is a new screenwriter who shows a lot of promise.

Stranger Than Fiction is an enjoyable movie that features fine efforts on the part of the cast and crew. Despite a few shortcomings, it should be commended for its originality – a concept that seems rare these days when it comes to most theatrically released movies.


Recommended:
Yes