Recent Reviews for Stranger Than Fiction
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MCT:July 22, 2008Emma Thompson is the only person that could read that beautiful VO narrative. All my literary training condensed into a great film.
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MCT:July 22, 2008
Everyone in the movie was perfect, just a great story with a terrific plot, and the right amount of humor with drama.
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MCT:July 20, 2008I hate to admit that I absolutely love this movie, but I do. Its one of the best, innovative stories, so well written that I can over look my hatred of Will Ferrell and 100% adore this movie. Love and "eminent death" are perfected. (if the role of Harold Crick was played by anyone else this movie gets a 5)
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MCT:July 19, 2008
Will Ferrel's best movie by far. Harold Crick is a great character, which is the easiest way for me to love a movie.
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MCT:July 19, 2008Rated: (PG-13)
Directed by: Marc Forster
Genres: Romance, Drama, Comedy
Casts: Will Ferrell, Maggie Gyllenhaal, Dustin Hoffman, Queen Latifah and Emma Thompson
"This is a story about a man named Harold Crick and his wristwatch. Harold Crick was a man of infinite numbers, endless calculations, and remarkably few words. And his wristwatch said even less. Every weekday, 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. Every weekday, for twelve years, Harold would tie his tie in a single Windsor knot instead of the double, thereby saving up to forty-three seconds. His wristwatch thought the single Windsor made his neck look fat, but said nothing."
- Karen Eiffel -
Harold Crick (Will Farrell) is an IRS auditor who almost compulsively measures, quantifies and rationalizes his life. Suddenly, he becomes aware of a voice narrating his life, "accurately and with a better vocabulary." The voice is that of a writer we learn is struggling with writer's block (Emma Thompson), mostly about the best way to make Harold die. When Harold overhears his impending doom, he takes action, and eventually makes his way to a professor of literary theory (Dustin Hoffman), who helps him understand the implications of the narrative life he is leading. The main story line seems to be around a woman he is auditing, played by Maggie Gyllenhaal. Realizing he could die at any moment, Harold begins to break free of his limited, orderly life, and joins Gyllenhaal in a romantic relationship. He tracks down Thompson and confronts her with the truth: if she writes about his death, then he will die. But Hoffman is convinced the novel must be written as intended, and Thompson herself is ambivalent. Crick himself reads the novel and encourages her to keep the original ending, which would kill him.
Hearing voices? It's just somebody's imagination...
Will Ferrell used to be one of my least favourite actor. It is odd to find that it's Mr. Ferrell's credit by playing the character impressively with exceedingly controlled approach. He played Harold Crick genuinely instead of overacted. We all have to admit that Hollywood's the expert of matchless script and storyline, producing brand new idea of dramedies. The ending is quite nice though a one of my fellow friend told me already. Stranger Than Fiction provides a comfortable and dazzling atmosphere also settles into nice realm which we'd never find it odd.
Kay Eiffel: "[narrating] Little did he know that this simple seemingly innocuous act would result in his imminent death."
Harold Crick: "What? What? Hey! HELLOOO! What? Why? Why MY death? HELLO? Excuse me? WHEN?" -
MCT:July 18, 2008
At first this movie didn't really get my attention, i got to watch it cause we had to watch it for our topic in one of our subjects which is literature.
This is not your ordinary Will Ferrell movie where you will laugh your way to the end.. It has a little twist in it although it wont get you thinking throughout the movie.
This movie is a must watch for people who wants something different. -
MCT:July 16, 2008
I personally really loved this film. It showoed that Will can be an actor when he tries. The overall tone of the movie is really what i loved about it. The ening is good, and the actiong great.
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MCT:July 15, 2008Harold Crick (Will Ferrell) sits at a small table in a local bakery and is coaxed into eating a freshly baked cookie with a glass of milk for dipping. There's a simplicity to the scene that speaks directly to the emotional core of the film, and speaks even more of Ferrell's talents as an actor. Crick makes his money as an IRS auditor, which means his company is enjoyed on the same level as Beelzebub. Recently, Harold has been hearing his life being narrated to him by an omniscient female voice. This voice, amongst other things, has informed him that he will die and there's nothing he can do about it. In hopes of averting this certain fate, Crick befriends a literature professor (Dustin Hoffman) and desperately tries to woo Ana Pascal (Maggie Gyllenhaal), the baker he is currently auditing. It ends up that the voice belongs to a writer named Karen Eiffel (Emma Thompson), who seems to have created Harold for her new book Death and Taxes. The scenes between Gyllenhaal and Ferrell are remarkably sweet and ethereal without being overly sentimental. By using complex themes to enunciate the unlikely romance between Crick and Pascal, Forster has found a way to bring out all the quirks and nuances in this love letter wrapped in a Rubik's cube. Enhanced by a clever selection of songs, this bright, fun, and highly entertaining film raises some valid existential questions regarding whether or not people have been sleepwalking through their lives without passion, living only for their work, and of course the eternal creative question of whether or not we?re living in a society where art is more important than life.
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MCT:July 14, 2008A very original and sweet movie. It's not sweet in a bad way, it just works so well and is hard not to love. Will Ferrell is brilliant here and unlike anything i have ever seen him in.
All the supporting actors and actresses are also brilliant here and carry the film fantastically till the end. Maggie Gyllenhaal looks amazing here, as sweet could be and i can't wait to see her in The Dark Knight now. A rising star and deservedly so. -
MCT:July 12, 2008
I really liked this movie. Original and fun. I liked that Will Ferrell didn't act like Will Ferrell. Maggie Gyllenhaal was so damn hot.
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MCT:July 10, 2008
Truth is stranger than fiction.
Stranger Than Fiction is a comedy with non-slapstick humour which is UNIQUE, with a perfect laughs proportion like a very few other comedies have. And surprisingly, Will Ferrell is the actor here, and don't worry, he didn't do anything to ruin the movie.
Supported by brilliant casts, Stranger Than Fiction gives us the fresh air when nowadays it is too hard to breathe in the invasion of Date Movie, Scary Movie, Superhero Movie, Epic Movie, Disaster Movie, WHATEVER Movie. (Just please, don't make any more of this. I beg you.) And Stranger Than Fiction is no Judd Apatow's comedy, it is certified ORIGINAL. Marc Forster had a great script, astonishing performance from the actors, all Thompson, Hoffman, Gyllenhaal, and of course the unexpected to be not-so-nauseating Ferrell. He played a guy named Bryan who was followed by a woman's voice narrating his life and apparently the woman mentioned that he would meet his death soon, so he started to freak out and tried to find the woman. (played by Thompson)
Overall, Stranger Than Fiction is a comedy with all BRAND-NEW laughs. ONE OF THE SMARTEST COMEDY EVER MADE.
Little did he know that this simple seemingly innocuous act would result in his imminent death.
-Emma Thompson as Kay Eiffel- -
MCT:July 10, 2008
Its great. The self-reference, The way the paradoxii are handled. The ending. The actiing. Its all perfect.
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MCT:July 8, 2008
Finally, Will Ferrell in a role that is humorous and not annoying. Very clever and well plotted. Somehow the movie just screams Marc Forster.
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MCT:July 8, 2008
a brilliant movie. full of wonder fiction and fact. but i think the ending would have been better if she left it as is.
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MCT:July 8, 2008
Watching Will Ferrell play a role where he's actually in a serious romantic relationship was something new to me, and I enjoyed it a lot. Always loved Emma Thompson.
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MCT:July 7, 2008Good story, poor casting to an extent..I like Ferrell and Gyllehall, but that was the end of that..Waste of time
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MCT:July 5, 2008
I loved Will Ferrell in this, it was interesting seeing him do something other than a straight comedy.
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MCT:July 3, 2008
HAHA!!! It's sooo cool when he's out there and screaming "What? What? Hey! HELLOOO! What? Why? Why MY death? HELLO? Excuse me? WHEN?"
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MCT:June 30, 2008
I wish somone would write a book about me.
Harold Crick, played by Will Ferrell, is an IRS auditor. He has a very repeatitive and boring life. And then one day, he hears this British woman narrating his life. Is he going insane or is this really happening?
Harold seeks help from an English professor, played by the one and only Dustin Hoffman. The narration of Harold's life continues and then it is stated that Harold will soon die.
One day while meeting with Hoffman's character, Harold hears the voice on the TV. Harold finds the narrator, an author played by Emma Thompson, and she is terrified to find out that her character is in fact real.
All through the search for the narrator, Harold falls in love with a baker he is auditing, played by Maggie Gyllenhaal.
All in all, a spectacular movie about life and how you should live it. -
MCT:June 29, 2008
A very different comedy, with an original and clever story. Itīs good to see Will Ferre in a different movie, Magiie Gyllenhaal was impresive.
A worth of watch. -
MCT:June 29, 2008
Subtle and understated comedy that Ferrell probably didn't get enough credit for. I'm a little biased with my prosaic sensibilities, but I found this movie satisfying and entertaining.
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MCT:June 28, 2008
After seeing this film and "Melinda and Melinda", it seems to me that Will Ferrell might actually have some untapped talent as a dramatic actor. Too bad he seems determined to waste his potential on ridiculously stupid comedies.
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MCT:June 25, 2008
It has drawn a lot of comparisons to Adaptation, one of my favourite films, but this one is even better. Ferrell proves he really can act, plus great performances all around. And this film is much more accessible to the masses than anything by Kaufmann, but still very smart.
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MCT:June 25, 2008
not a movie you would expect will farrell to be in... but he did a good job. It was really odd... but it was really good.
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MCT:June 25, 2008
i was surprised that Will Ferrell could do a serious role and pull it off....i was very impressed with this movie
