One of the best films of the year

Rating: 9/10 (25 November 2006)

Stranger Than Fiction is one of those films that exceeds expectations. It is a beautifully crafted film in all regards with memorable performances, intelligently poetic direction and an absolutely spellbinding script.
The biggest surprise is the range that Will Ferrell brings to his role as a bland, unremarkable man who works for the IRS who finds his life flipped upside down when he begins to hear a narrative about his life. While he is certainly in his element in comedy, the dramatic demands of this film prove to be a feat well matched by Ferrell who left many in the audience I watched the film with in tears. This role certainly stands as a high mark for Will Ferrell and he certainly is to be commended for his work.
The script by first time film writer Zach Helm stands as equal a breakthrough in screen writing as Being John Malkovich was for Charlie Kaufman or American Beauty was for Alan Ball. His creative, narrative style is only matched by his skillful character development. The characters breathe and grow with the deftness of a mature writer and the well-paced plot moves with grace, something sorely lacking in the average Hollywood script.
Stranger Than Fiction is certainly one of the few easily recognized Oscar contenders for this year. It certainly stands likely to receive nominations for direction, screen writing and acting for Will Ferrell and for Dustin Hoffman who nearly steals the show. It is an easily recommended film that stands out as fresh and truly heartfelt, and the level of acting talent that the script attracted certainly speaks volumes as to how well written the film was.