A long-term grower and potential classic

Rating: 10/10 (21 June 2014)

It's always a little strange watching a movie on a long-haul airplane flight: you are often slightly disoriented and depending on whether you are heading home or outbound, probably in a more attuned emotional state. Nevertheless, I flicked onto 'Mitty' as the second film of the second leg of a long flight with low expectations, having heard the negative reviews last year. Boy, was I wrong admittedly these next comparisons might seem crass but apparently 'Shawshank' was panned when it first appeared and I still believe that only time will prove what a wonderful piece of art 'The Mission' was and 'Mitty' probably isn't in that league. But equally I thought it was an exceptionally well made and creative film: my attention was caught from the first scenes and the way that the initial titles were presented (I'll not spoil the details, but do look carefully). The artwork/ cinematography is excellent and while Ben Stiller might not be to everyone's taste, I felt that he found exactly the right balance of pathos and comedy here to do justice to the script and the central ideas of the film.
It's the kind of film that draws you in slowly and you certainly don't get the impression from the first third just where the film will end up but if you are one of 'us' who think that 'feel-good' is a good place to be, then please do get and see this film. By turns its comedic, romantic and I think that it is actually self-deprecating – hardly Stiller's main characteristic in previous works! – and that anyone who is looking for a deeper message or the 'meaning of life' (sorry for the pun) is actually being had: Mitty is a filmic fantasy and should just be enjoyed for the moment, which is in effect to quote Sean Penn's character in the film I guess.
The negative reviews on here – and there are several – when you look closely take exception to specific elements of the film but miss the wider message and that I think is what will come across over time. It's a lovely film and certainly one that will grow in popularity over time once it starts appearing on terrestrial television maybe it will never pay back its initial budget but don't let that put you off... it's a little gem.