From out of nowhere, an unforgettable film

Rating: 10/10 (11 November 2006)

It took me all of 30 seconds to be completely attached to this film. The idea that all of those archetypal patterns we studied in school can apply to our own lives is only a small part of what this movie offers. You can look past it as simply a fun little film to go see (plenty of humor to please those looking for that surface-level comedy--which I am in need of sometimes, myself), but if you look at literature as an imaginative rehearsal for life, then you may see the "life rehearsals" in this film, too. I appreciate having a character who is completely unique, and yet an everyman at the same time. And I like how he blunders his way through the unfathomable predicament of being narrated. Seriously--I am afraid to think about what my own "narrator" would have to say about me. In fact, I'm hearing those voices in my head right now.
I like the intense look at these words "Little did he know," because, honestly, think of how little we know about the next moments of our lives.
The character of the boy on the bicycle and the woman looking for a job--those characters represent the fate that we just don't hold in our lives. They come in and out of the film with such stealth that when they pop in, you suddenly remember that you had already forgotten them. Yet without them, an additional layer of meaning here would be lost.
The cinematography is artistic and worth the price of admission in itself, and the graphics here that are used to represent an entire personality are brilliant. Again, if you're interested in applying art (in this case, film) to your own life, you'll begin to wonder about your own graphics? What do they look like right now? Ferrell and Thompson provide outstanding entertainment--Ferrell, especially, because his timing in every respect (dialogue, physical comedy, facial expressions) are flawless. Thompson is excellent casting. I thought that Dustin Hoffman's role added a clever balance, though the symbolism of his role of lifeguard was a bit too in-your-face.
If there's anything that I didn't like about this film, it would be Queen Latifa's small but almost annoying role (very typical of her "watch me break free from type" intentions) and the glow of the watch. We could have done without that.