| FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE |
| Spin on Entertainment |
............ |
|
| Movie Review |
..... |
|
 |
|
Stranger
Than Fiction 
- In theaters November 10th, 2006
- Rated PG-13 for some disturbing images, sexuality, brief
language and nudity
- Runtime: 113 min
- Tyler - 4.5 out of 5
- Lisa- 4.5 out of 5
COMPLETE REVIEW BELOW
Review by Tyler and Lisa Murph
Harold Crick, played by Will Ferrell, is an IRS auditor. He is
used to being disliked by most people because of his job, and
he leads a simple life of routine and regimen. He isn't obsessive
compulsive, but he has tendencies that would lead you to believe
he is. He wakes every morning to the alarm on his wristwatch,
brushes his teeth by counting the exact number of up and down
strokes and side to side strokes. He even ties his tie every morning
in a single Windsor knot because of the few seconds it saves him
over tying a double Windsor knot.
We know all this as viewers because from the beginning of the
movie a woman with a British accent informs us of Harold's quirks
and eccentricities. It isn't long, though, before Harold himself
can hear this narration of his own life. Realizing that no one
else can hear this omniscient voice, Harold's routine is quickly
undone. He wonders if he is crazy, but the voice tells him he
isn't. Harold soon discovers more about his own future when his
narrator, who has been right about everything so far, makes reference
to his eminent death. In an effort to discover the owner of the
voice and try to change the course of his own life he steps out
of his shell, stops living his life by the numbers, and begins
to discover a life with more meaning than he ever had before.
Will Ferrell is excellent in this role as Harold Crick. His
subtle form of comedy brings just the right amount of humor
to the character, and director Marc Forster (Monster's Ball,
Finding Neverland) skillfully balances humor with drama in this
quirky story that seems to walk a tightrope over the chasm between
comedy and tragedy. The supporting cast of Maggie Gyllenhaal,
Dustin Hoffman, Emma Thompson, and Queen Latifah is also excellent,
and I was left wondering why this movie isn't billed as more
of an ensemble cast than it is.
There's a segment in the movie were Harold is tasked with determining
what kind of story he is in, a tragedy or a comedy. The scene
is placed so well in the sequence of the story by writer Zach
Helm that it wasn't until near its resolution that I realized
the scene was as much about the story I was watching as it was
about the story that Harold was being written into. This movie
finds a way to be very much about real life through a story that
is so far from real life. I love that about this movie. It is
funny, quirky, sad, and a little bit strange, almost all at once.
There really is nothing I can say that I didn't like about it.
If you enjoy movies that are multidimensional, thought provoking,
quirky, and funny through all of it, you should enjoy this movie
very much. I give it 4.5 busted digital watches out of 5. With
a spin on Stranger Than Fiction, I'm Tyler Murph.
|
|
|
