Beautiful

Rating: 10/10 (25 September 2016)

This film is a triumph. The cinematography and the locations are both captivating and shockingly beautiful. The story is well paced, exciting and and engrossing. The daydreams of Walter Mitty are endlessly entertaining, but it's the accomplishments Walter makes in facing his fears and living his life to the fullest that serve as such beautiful inspiration.
Very few films have the power to stay with me for years. This one sticks to my bones. As a photographer and cinematographer I relish the beauty of the images portrayed in this film. As a writer and a director, the inspirational power of the story leaves me changed, improved and impressed with the brevity of life and the importance of living it without the hindrance of fear or regret.
Ben Stiller is wonderful as the title character and Kristen Wiig is charming as his love interest. Time truly is our most valuable commodity. Sometimes I finish a film and I am painfully aware that I have invested poorly and lost that time, never to regain it. With this film I feel that I am improved for investing my time in watching it: a better filmmaker, but more importantly, a better human being. This film is a rare gem indeed. Bravo, Ben Stiller. Bravo.