Stranger Than Fiction DVD Review

"Stranger Than Fiction" reviews

DVD

Stranger Than Fiction

Author

anonymous

Date reviewed

2007-03-30 15:00:34

Provider

MRIB

DVD Review

Marc Foster (Finding Neverland) directs Will Ferrell and Emma Thompson in a reality-slip black comedy about an author whose character turns out to be a real person.

Harold Crick (Ferrell) is the cliched tax inspector - routine, dull and boring. Suddenly a woman's voice is in his head, narrating his life and predicting that he will come to an untimely death. Crick hires a literary professor (Dustin Hoffman) who surmises that he is a character in the woman's latest novel. But luckily the author, Karen Eiffel (Thompson) has writer's block, buying Harold a little time to liven up his life, find her and prevent himself being killed off.

It's no Truman Story or Eternal Sunshine…, but Ferrell can certainly do pathos. Thankfully restraining the frat-boy style we know so well he becomes a sympathetic character - almost a doe-eyed dog . And Emma Thompson revels in her stressed and scatty literary role. Maggie Gyllenhal is Will's romantic interest, delivering another fine understated performance, but the real plaudits must go to Hoffman - again playing an intellectual nut.

Foster bounces us around the settings and story with loopy camera angles and fast switches which make for a zany and headache-inducing experience. But familiar references make it easy going and Ferrell has enough stunts and skits up his sleeve for laugh out loud scenes and lines.

It's a healthy change for Hollywood, offering us a comedy with a bit of depth. The importance of existence; that life's not a rehearsal and what a person will do to stay alive; are all serious issues dealt with deftly by a fine script and ensemble cast.

DVD extras include a whole host of behind the scenes and on the set featurettes plus deleted scenes and (as for any Ferrell film) the blooper reel.

Copyright © MRIB 2007.