An intelligent mood film that begs the question...

Rating: 9/10 (21 October 2008)

Why aren't there more films like this? I'll be up front, I am not a Will Ferrell fan. In fact I find his comic shtick on things to be over the top, totally ludicrous and thus not funny. And this may very well be why some people hated this movie. If you're expecting a Will Ferrell vehicle along the lines of "Blades of Glory" or "Talladega Nights", then you will find this film very disappointing.
Others hate this film because they find the whole premise boring and all I can say to this is I believe this type of movie calls for the viewer to be in a certain type of mood. And this is where the film can cause a bit of confusion; it's not really a romantic comedy, it's not really a silly comedy, it's not an out-and-out drama, it's definitely not an action flick. Because it doesn't fall into a specific category, people unsure whether to watch this film may create preconceived ideas which ultimately result in them not enjoying it because it wasn't what they expected (i.e. their mood was for a specific type of flick and "Stranger than fiction" didn't fit into that category).
It's also a film that I strongly recommend you watch without interruptions. If your attention is not firmly fixed on the subtleties and intricacies of the character development and plot then you'll lose the overall effect of what this film tries to deliver. And what this film does deliver in spades (if you let it) is the idea that no matter how alone you might feel, you can find love. And bravery, hope and courage can come from the most unexpected of places.
I saw this movie without any idea of what it was going to be like. I found it to be the surprise film of the year for me. The characters are all colourful and have layers of depth that come forth the longer the film goes on. But really the story is where it takes it from a 7 or 8 to a 9 out of 10. I'm all for the "brainless" movie every now and then; I'm a big fan of the action genre and enjoy the "there's no need to think through this movie"-kind of flick. But during a time when box office success seems to mean "more special effects" less "substance", it's wonderful to see a movie that not only has a bit of thought in it but also a heap of substance.
Class performances all round - Ferrell as Harold Crick is a revelation, Maggie Gyllenhaal (marvelous as usual), Dustin Hoffman (underrated humorous turn) and Emma Thompson (can drain drama out of a stone) are all casted wonderfully. And lest we forget I would like to make a special mention to the undisputed hero of the film, I won't actually identify this character as it would spoil the film but I will say Harold Crick's sidekick brought a smile to my face by movie credits end.