“Stranger Than Fiction” (Sony Pictures)
Believably Unbelievable
Zach Helm wrote the screenplay for “Stranger Than Fiction” and Marc Forster directed it. Together these two men are able to make the unbelievable believable. Audiences watching this movie will know it has to be a fable or fairy tale but they will believe its plot intricacies just the same. Maybe it is because they want to believe it, or maybe it is because the superb cast make it so believable; but whatever the case they will believe it and they will enjoy it.
The story concerns a writer named Kay Eiffel (Emma Thompson) and an IRS investigator named Harold Crick (Will Ferrell). He is an ordinary guy living an ordinary life until one day when he begins to hear a voice narrating his life. The voice belongs to Eiffel but Harold doesn’t know this.
Eiffel is writing a story about a man named Harold Crick and her plot determines the way Crick’s life goes. If Eiffel writes that he meets a girl, well Crick meets a girl. In his life that girl is one of his IRS auditees named Ana (Maggie Gyllenhaal). She hates him because he is auditing her, but he is strangely fascinated by her.
Harold’s life progresses with him becoming more and more annoyed, irritated and puzzled by this mysterious voice. Eventually he hears the voice say that he is going to have to die. Now he really becomes concerned and takes every measure possible to try to solve who and what the voice is.
All of this sounds a bit silly but in the capable hands of Forster it works. He gives the movie heart and soul, as well as comedy and romance. Plus he has Will Ferrell giving possibly the best performance of his career as the confused Crick.
Thompson is also outstanding as the author. She makes Eiffel a bit quirky and a whole lot intelligent. You can totally accept her as an author trying to write the biggest and best story of her career. She and Ferrell only share a couple of scenes in the movie but they are the best part of the film.
Other members of the cast who add to the enjoyment are Gyllenhaal, Queen Latifah and Dustin Hoffman. Each has an integral role to play in the development of the story, and they do it in a way that enhances the plot and further adds to the believability of the impossible.
The film is rated PG-13 for mild violence and profanity.
“Stranger Than Fiction” is one of those movies that shouldn’t work but it does. The plot alone should make the movie too quirky and too offbeat for most audiences to enjoy. Still, somehow the sincerity of the plot and the charm of the characters involved combine to make this one of the most entertaining movies of the year thus far.
Don’t judge this movie by the trailer or by descriptions of the plot, but rather go see it and make your own judgment. You will be surprised by how warm-hearted, funny and touching it is.
I scored “Stranger Than Fiction” a truly great 8 out of 10.
