Just finished Stranger Than Fiction... Excellent movie. Touching, and very nearly heartbreaking, and thoughtful. I can understand that most people likely wont like it, and thats ok. But, I loved it. Ive heard people mention that Will Farrel failed to show dramatic acting chops in this film... But, I disagree. For me, he proved something: that he has the ability to surprise and impress. Dont get me wrong, hes a pretty funny guy, but I never thought of him as an actor. Now I do. His character, Harold Crick, is kind of uptight, kind of stone faced. I can see how many would interpret his portrayal as bad acting. But... I dont. I think he was brilliant. Emotional when needed, but just the right kind of awkward to be an IRS agent with no social life, going through something very, very strange. Emma Thompson plays an author who is literally writing Harolds life. That woman continues to astound me. How would you react to answering the phone and talking to a character you have written? I dont have to guess, I know what that looks like. She showed me. There were some problems, yes, in that for the story to move forward, her initial shock had to wear off quickly. But, even then, she played the role with an anxiety and desperation that I find it hard to believe is faked. Utterly brilliant. The major weak point in the film, and this comes as a shock to me, is Dustiin Hoffman as an English Professor that Harold contacts to try and make sense of whats happening to him. Harold has started hearing his life being narrated in his head. Hoffmans early scenes were brilliant, fantastic in the way that Ive come to expect from Hoffman. But, late in the movie, his motivations become less clear... Idk, I had a problem with it. Its definitely not movie-breaking (and in some ways I even agree with him), but it seemed odd. If youre looking for a movie that ties up all the loose ends, this is most certainly not it. It offers absolutely no explanation for the strange happenings going on in Harolds life, or, most importantly, how this random author happened to become omnipotent. But, thats ok. Relax and enjoy the movie, and be transported. Harolds story, in the end, is neither a comedy, nor a tragedy. Its life, but just a bit stranger. (which makes the name a little inapt, but still...)
Posted on: Sun, 12 Oct 2014 06:25:29 +0000
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