DVD Review - Stranger Than Fiction

Marc Foster's latest film is sweet and whimsical. The screenplay, written by Zach Helm, is original but it doesn't always make sense. I guess that it is not supposed to.

Harold Crick (Will Ferrell) is an IRS auditor who leads a very humdrum life. But one day everything changes. He starts hearing a voice in his head. The voice belongs to writer Karen Eiffel (Emma Thompson) who is writing a book on his life and death. When a psychiatrist cannot help him he seeks advice from literature professor Jules Hilbert (Dustin Hoffman). Things get a bit complicated for Harold because in addition to all of this he is falling for a baker named Ana Pascal (Maggie Gyllenhaal) who he just happens to be auditing. Harold finds out that Eiffel wants to kill off his character and he wants to find her and stop her from doing this (because it will happen in real life).

The best way to describe this story is total fantasy. But there is something lovely about it as well. There is quite a bit of humor in the film but I wouldn't call it a comedy. Ferrell is nice and low key in his role. Gyllenhaal and Hoffman are good and add a nice touch to the film. Best of all is Thompson. Her turn as the eccentric and troubled Eiffel shows you what an outstanding actress she is. Sadly, Queen Latifah isn't given much to do as Eiffel's assistant Penny Eisher.

When the film came out late last year many critics went crazy over it. I listened to my gut feeling and waited to see the film on DVD and I am not sorry that I did. As much as I admire this genre (which also includes Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind and Science of Sleep) I find it not always easy to take - one has to be in the mood for this type of film. But if you are in want to see something fantastical and well done check out the DVD of Stranger Than Fiction.