Reviewed by Neil Davey
Stars Will Ferrell, Maggie Gyllenhaal, Emma Thompson,
Dustin Hoffman, Queen Latifah, Tony Hale, Tom Hulce,
Kristin Chenoweth, Linda Hunt
Written by Zach Helm
Certification US PG-13 | UK 12A | Australia M
Runtime 113 minutes
Directed by Marc Forster
A knack for comic timing frequently means that comedians make great actors. Steve Martin in Roxanne, for example, or Adam Sandler in Punch Drunk Love. As well as being likeable and charming - whatever the shortcomings of their characters — comics also bring a hint of pathos to proceedings, a tragic side just below the surface and, on the evidence of Stranger Than Fiction, Will Ferrell is no exception.
Ferrell plays Harold Crick, a dull IRS agent. His day is a predictable sequence of events. From the number of times he brushes his teeth to the exact minute he leaves his house, Harold’s life is one of much repeated routines. One day, however, he hears a voice in his head, narrating his life in all its dull detail. The voice — unbeknown to Harold — belongs to local author Kay Eiffel (Emma Thompson), who's writing a book about a dull, grey IRS agent called Harold Crick. While mystified by the voice, Harold muddles through, until one morning the voice reveals that Harold is going to die. Panicked, Harold enlists Professor Hilbert, a literary expert — Dustin Hoffman, clearly enjoying himself — to try and find a way to prevent his death.
Stranger Than Fiction skips happily around the world of existentialism and, as a result, could come across as smug, one of those films that's clever for the sake of cleverness. However, only one aspect seems a little self-indulgent — the self-reverential mathematical themes of the characters' surnames — and that's easily overlooked in favour of all the good things present. Ferrell is excellent, giving Harold a greater depth than his shortcomings might suggest. The gradual softening of his character — Hilbert urges him to turn his life from tragedy to comedy — is a sheer joy, not least because it involves falling in love with Maggie Gyllenhaal as free-spirited baker Ana. Stranger Than Fiction is smart, funny and leaves you feeling warm and fuzzy. It's not big, but it is clever.