Stranger Than Fiction

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Stars:★★★★

Year: 2006

Country: USA

Director: Marc Foster

Cast: Will Ferrel (Harold Crick), Emma Thompson (writer Karen Eiffel), Maggie Gyllenhaal (Ana Pascal), Dustin Hoffman (Professor Jules Hilbert)

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Harold Crick seems to be living the most monotonous life in the world. As the movie begins, we can hear a voice narrate: “Every week day for twelve years, Harold would brush each of his thirty-two teeth seventy-six times. Thirty-eight times back and forth, thirty eight times up and down…” and this way, the voice continues describing every tiny detail of his obsessively organized routine. This routine remains unbroken until a wednesday morning, when something incredibly strange occurs.

While brushing his theeth, Harold hears a voice. Harold hears a voice of a woman telling a story. The voice of a woman telling HIS story, as if he was the character of some book, what happens to be terribly annoying and problematic, and turns into something far much serious when a single sentence is said:

“Little did he know that this simple, seemingly innocuous act would result in his imminent death“.

That’s quite an interesting way to start a story, isn’t it? Well, I must say that Stranger Than Fiction is one of the most original movies I’ve ever seen. To begin with, the whole idea of it is highly original, but it’s not just that. It’s also the way the story is told, and all the little details in it. Like the numbers, lines and maps that appear on the screen illustrating Harold’s thoughts. This movie is quite out of the ordinary, and it’s a rather good choice when trying to find something different to watch.

Having finished the movie, one doesn’t get the feeling that it was just a piece of entertainment. There’s definitely something more in it. And what is that? A bit of varied things, I guess. What you would do if you knew your life was coming to an end, how we should pay more attention to little things in our lifes because after all they’re the most important… and the enormous effect this little things can cause (what we call the butterfly effect). Everything combined in a way that leaves the viewer wondering and wearing a smile on their face.

I also think that the movie manages to deal with this peculiar topic in a way that doesn’t look too ridiculous (and making the story of a man whose life is controlled by a writer not look ridiculous is a pretty difficult task). I didn’t feel like watching something stupid or awkwardly fake. On the contrary, this film is exquisitely made. Besides, I really like Emma Thompson’s acting, and though I’m not so sure about Will Ferrel, he didn’t do a bad job either.

Stranger Than Fiction engaged me from the beginning and got me eager to see how it would end because I wasn’t able to figure it out on my own. I don’t regret watching it at all, and I really think you should give it a try. ♣

Watch a trailer ↓ (or don’t, it kind of spoils you many things!)

– Written by GuadiRC –