Stranger Than Fiction (2006) review by Jon S. Bangs

"Stranger than Fiction"

Directed by Marc Forster


Starring:
Will Ferrell


Dustin Hoffman


Maggie Gyllenhaal


Emma Thompson


Queen Latifah


Stranger Than Fiction almost instantly struck me as an out of nowhere delight. One of the most pleasantly surprising left field favorites in recent memory, for me personally.



It's smart, but not pretentious. Original, but not too far from the norm. It makes the complex seem simple and reachable, and it never stretches out any possible turns farther than need be. Beyond the actual core of the story, a couple of the "real-life" scenarios were unlikely, but were presented in a way that made them seem rather plausible.

The film's most astonishing achievement, may be the fact that it makes it possible to relate to (not to mention, immensely enjoy) a slightly boring, number-crunching IRS agent. To take a lead character that is so potentially humdrum and transform him into a magical presence, is no small feat and seems to be a dying artform these days.

The movie has a great script, a euphoric feel, stellar direction and outstanding performances. Here are a few of them:

Will Ferrell (Harold Crick) has gained my full respect with his performance here. Doing these more "serious" roles, that everyone seems to be focusing on, comes pretty naturally to him, basically because he's a natural for the screen. He is not the quintessential leading man, but he seems to be a man of humility and personal comfort, which translates well to the screen and to the people, whether he's keeping it light or heading towards the heavy. Simple conclusion: It's easy to be believable when you seem to be pretty much just being yourself up there on the screen, for the most part, with only a little bit of help from your friends.

After a predictable and over the top opening scene for her, Maggie Gyllenhaal (Ana Pascal) delights as a rugged, yet naturally welcoming female presence; a stabilizing force that any slyly mysterious movie containing that many questions and possible outcomes, is in dire need of.

Queen Latifah (Penny Escher) is also a surprise here, bringing subtle dimensions to a rather limited role. She is at her best when playing characters who are not written as over the top distractions. Cast her in a lesser supporting role, where she is nowhere near the focal point, and she will bring something special to it, and make it stick. This is a massively underappreciated talent. I think the movie world would benefit greatly from her never being the star of the show ever again, and that is the highest compliment I could pay her.

Dustin Hoffman (Professor Jules Hilbert) is outstanding and loads of fun as a slightly quirky teach who is trying his darndest to help Ferrell find the way, even if he's not really sure what in the dickens is going on himself.

Tony Hale (Dave) of Arrested Development is also awesome as Will's quietly well-adjusted buddy from work.

This movie should be required viewing for any aspiring writer. It inspired me to the point where I was creating multiple screenplays in my head throughout, even though I was transfixed on the very story that I was watching. It's been too long since I've been this positively moved and influenced by a film.

Going to the movies can change your life. Who knows? Maybe this movie has pushed me towards my own masterpiece. The fact that it made me want to do anything, is a testament that should not be overlooked. It's so easy to forget a movie once you've left the dark confines of the screening room, so for one to stick with me this much, was an unknown treasure that could be quite valuable to me for years to come.

At times, it reminded me of other movies, (Adaption, Science of Sleep, Truman Show, the Game, etc.) but it's impossible and unfair to directly compare it to anything else under the sun. This was a one of a kind gift that's better than mostly anything in its genre.

The movie was very funny, but it wasn't very laugh out loud funny. It was more of a subtle, charming humor, but it was just as rewarding for me as many of my favorite slapstick comedies. This brand of humor is the most excellent of its kind in recent memory. Certain lines wouldn't get a laugh out of me for 5 to 10 seconds. It's not that they didn't hit me the first time, they just hit me again, and harder, the second time around, and it would bring a rare chuckle out of me that I can't quite put my finger on and that I haven't experienced in a real long time. That's a beautiful thing.

This was an innovative motion picture for sure, that was quite mind blowing at times, but it was also massively heartwarming. The most infectious part of it may be its most generic feature:
No matter how hard you try to change the face of movie making, its still hard to beat human nature. The act of falling in love with someone for the first time may still be the best story ever told, the most life-changing thing we may ever experience and the most difficult act of them all to follow. Luckily, screenwriter Zach Helm and director Marc Foster both seem to recognize this, and run with it to stunning effects.

If you believe that something as simple as a movie, or a fantasy can be inspiring and can speak to you ever so uniquely, or you simply believe in a thing called love and everything that relates to it, no matter how far-reaching, then I highly recommend you go see this movie. It may touch you in a similar, or totally different way.

The best movies are the ones that can be a million different things to a million different people. This is one of those movies.

Truth is stranger than fiction.Life is stranger than fiction.Love is stranger than fiction. And more beautiful, too.

This movie comes pretty damn close to capturing what love can, though.

It exceeded my expectations tenfold and it made exceedingly far out things seem attainable. I hope it can do the same for you.