Solid if unspectacular

Rating: 7/10 (7 May 2018)

Overall, this was a fairly enjoyable effort from director Marc Forster and screenwriter Zach Helm. The most satisfying aspect of it was Will Ferrell's grounded and restrained performance as Harold Crick which seems like a breath of fresh air compared to his usual over-the-top antics in certain comedies. The acting across the board was pretty strong with Emma Thompson, Dustin Hoffman and Maggie Gyllenhaal as the supporting cast.
The theme of appreciating life and living it to the fullest is one I felt was explored with the correct amount of nuance, whilst seeing Crick descend into a nervous breakdown due to his life being narrated as part of author Karen Eiffel's story is quite interesting.
However, I do have some problems with the film, mainly due to how the moral implications of Eiffel potentially having killed real people with her writing are not really explored, and the philosophical side of the narrative that could have emerged is not brought up really. Also the romance that builds between Crick and Ana Pascal doesn't grow organically for me.
In the end this was a fairly enjoyable comedy-drama that I would recommend.