A journey of self discovery

Rating: 8/10 (4 June 2020)

Our busy lives can often feel incredibly receptive. Many of us spend day after day with little to no motivation or clear direction in our careers ,or relationships with others, and sometimes find ourselves swept away from reality through daydreaming of a better, more exciting life. The 2013 film, "The Secret Life of Walter Mitty," brilliantly personifies this issue through it's beautiful yet simplistic storytelling. Walter is a middle aged man who works for Life Magazine as a photo developer. His mind frequently wanders and re-emerges in his own reality where he is the hero. One day Life's new owners send Walter on a journey to find a missing photo that their photographer, Shaun Penn, has dubbed, "the quintessence of life," and an amazing adventure of rediscovery ensues.
The true beauty in the film lies in the ordinary nature of the story. Everyone has had a moment in their lives where they simply wanted more. Ben Stiller, director and lead actor, flawlessly portrays Walter, and the character is so relatable that truly anyone can take away something from watching it. The cinematography is also something to truly behold. Stuart Drybourgh, head of cinematography for the film, successfully captured the full grandeur of the locations in the film from the most ordinary, like an office, to the most breathtaking, like the mountains of Afghanistan. It's fitting that a film about photography should have such beautiful shots. It's also quite interesting to see Ben Stiller in a serious role. He's been in plenty of comedies over the years, often with much success, but he manages to play a serious character so well. It is so satisfying to see his character come to life on the screen because he can represent emotions that exist within all of us.
The mystery of the film is both the whereabouts and the image that Shaun has dubbed, "The Quintessence of Life." Without giving away what the photo is, I can say without a doubt that it is one of the most beautiful moments I've ever witnessed in a film. Another clever feature is that this photo is not the only focus of the film. Walter is head over heels for Cheryl, a fellow employee. He wants so badly to be with her but ultimately feels unworthy for her. What I love about this dynamic between these characters is that it is incredibly relatable for most of the viewers. Plenty of people have had a moment where we fall for someone that we believe is out of our league and it discourages us to make a move. This film explains that you don't need to be someone you're not to get what you want. You see the film isn't about just finding the missing photo. It's about how that journey made it clear to Walter that he didn't need to change to be the man he wanted to be. It instilled confidence in him to be the man he already was.