DIRECTOR: Marc Forster WRITER: Zach Helm
CAST: Will Ferrell (Harold Crick), Maggie Gyllenhaal (Ana Pascal), Dustin Hoffman (Professor Jules Hilbert), Emma Thompson (Karen Eiffel), Queen Latifah (Penny Escher), Tony Hale (Dave), Linda Hunt (Dr Mittag-Leffler), Tom Hulce (Dr Cayly) & Kristin Chenoweth (Darlene Sunshine)
A tax collector begins to hear a voice narrating his daily life...Swiss director Mar Forster's last film was a biopic of Peter Pan author J.M Barrie (Finding Neverland) and his latest offering also has a literary backdrop; one where a man begins to suspect his life is a work of fiction...
Will Ferrell stars as Harold Crick, a dour IRS taxman who's obsessed with counting and locked into a repetitive existence. One day, while systematically brushing his teeth, Harold begins to hear a voice narrating his actions. The disembodied voice continues for the next few days, prompting a fear for his own sanity, particularly his "impending death" is mentioned...
Screenwriter Zach Helm's script is great fun and masterminds its high-concept premise to its full potential. Will Ferrell, whose comedies I rarely enjoy (although Anchorman was fine), is quite a revelation here. It's not a massively difficult role, certainly not as nuanced as fellow comedian Jim Carrey in Eternal Sunshine..., but it's a likeable performance nonetheless.
The supporting cast are just as great. Maggie Gyllenhaal is superb as love interest Ana (a tax-dodging chef), Emma Thompson is good as the "voice" (chain-smoking author Karen Eiffel, struggling with writer's block), while Dustin Hoffman is fantastic as a literary professor who treats Harold's predicament with utter seriousness, turning "existential detective" for the second time after I Heart Huckabees!
Stranger Than Fiction tackles some big ideas, primarily the importance of a single individual's humdrum existence versus gaining immortality through art. Does he even have free will, as his life seems to be dictated by someone's typewriter?
For long stretches, the film is a delight with its stylish production, witty graphics (visualizing Crick's numbercrunching, a la Fight Club's pricing sequence), and winning performances. The script motors along at a good lick and I appreciated the Douglas Adams nods (a "living" wrist-watch, Crick's apartment destruction echoing Arthur Dent's bulldozers, etc.) It's all perfectly disciplined by director Marc Forster, although there are some niggling problems that prevent Stranger Than Fiction attaining modern classic status...
For one thing, as a comedy it's certainly amusing.... but has greater things on its mind. As a romance, it's effective... but Harold and Ana's relationship is just one small element to the story. As a high-concept mind-bending thriller.... it's too light-hearted at times and lacks the courage of its convictions with a cowardly ending.
With so many elements jostling for attention, the overall problem with Stranger Than Fiction is it's not funny or harrowing enough to become a classic of either the "comedy" or "tragedy" genre (ironic, once you see the movie). But don't that put you off. The story may opt for a "happily ever after" denouement, but it at least has a good reason for this decision.
Despite its shortcomings, I was entertained throughout, engaged by all the actors and became engrossed in this work of fiction.
