Stranger Than Fiction (9/10) Revisited

This is a great movie... fuck that... it's fan-fucking-tastic. I said I gave myself a mental slap after watching "Away We Go" because I underestimated that film. Here I should just hit myself because boy does this movie pack a punch. It's the best work Will Ferrell has ever done and is his best movie easily (although not his funniest). Ferrell has a future beyond straight comedy. Like Jim Carrey, Steve Martin, and Robin Williams; Ferrell showed his brilliance before it was to late. I adore Ferrell comedies but I would love to see more like this from him. "Stranger Than Fiction" is a strange but marvelous film.

Harold Crick (Will Ferrell) is a man living in a routine. His life is based more off keeping to schedule rather than emotion. However this changes when he hears a voice in his head. The voice narrates his life but with a little bit more too it. It's not just a voice about his life, but a third person who knows all about him and his future. The voice is Karen Eiffel (The brilliant Emma Thompson) and she is a depressed author with writer's block. She is writing a book about Harold Crick not knowing he is a real person. She plans on killing him and Crick hears this and does all he can to figure out what is happening. The thing is that it's all a story. What Harold does is a part of a story, if he does nothing then the story goes no where (he thinks). He enlists the aid of Pr Jules Hilbert (Dustin Hoffman) a literature expert. He tries to help him figure out not only the who the narrator is but also what kind of story is he in. Crick is infatuated by Ana Pascal (Maggie Gyllenhaal) and they way his relationship builds with her tells if the story will be comedy or tragedy (once again so he thinks). "Stranger Than Fiction" has a lot of depth and symbolism.

The movie is parable for one meeting his destiny and his God. The film has little hints to the fact Karen is fact the god of Harold's life. It sure does play out this way. What's more important is whether Harold will accept his story or not. Will his life become part of something greater or will he life "his" life? It's handled fantastically and is one of the best ways to handle a story I've ever seen in a film. Will Ferrell gives the best work of his career. It's a performance and film very similar to Jim Carrey with "The Truman Show". I loved that movie and I love this one as well.

9/10
Recommendation: If you like "The Truman Show" and Will Ferrell than this is perfect for you. It's deep and upbeat. Something to cherish.