An amazingly thoughtful comedy

Rating: 9/10 (20 May 2012)

It is rare that a comedy of such great originality and thoughtfulness graces the screens. On the immediate level, this is a delightful and sometimes touching movie about a man caught in absurd and hilarious circumstances. It is populated by quirky characters who are brilliantly portrayed - Will Ferrell as the neurotic workaday man with the mundane life; Dustin Hoffman as the eccentric and oddly forthright professor; and Emma Thomson as the author, an equally eccentric but also gravely cynical and isolated character. The absurd scenario of a man discovering that a voice is narrating his life allows these colourful characters to bounce off each other, and the results are brilliant.
Yet this movie is so much more than just that. One could write pages upon pages about the subject matter brought up by this brilliant plot - questions of fate, identity, and love. Harold must face the very real fact that his fate is not in his own hands - and yet, simultaneously, he begins to slowly change himself in the wake of his changing life. And what happens when someone discovers one's creator, and opens up the very real possibility of that creator discovering their creation?
Whether you want to be delighted by a quirky comedy with an endearing love story, or you want to share endless conversations about the messages and implications of such a wonderful story, Stranger Than Fiction will prove a very enjoyable film.