Stranger than Fiction (2006)

Harold Crick (Will Ferrell) is a man obsessed with numbers. He is known at work - as a senior agent with the IRS - as someone who can do mathematical calculations incredibly quickly. His whole life is governed by numbers, and punctuality.

Every morning, he brushes each of his teeth 72 times - 36 from side to side and 36 up and down - walks the same number of steps to the bus stop, catching the same bus every morning to work, taking the same breaks at the same time for the same amount of time each day.

To all outside observers, his life seems uninteresting and uneventful. He would probably describe it the same way himself.

But lately, he has heard a female voice narrating his every action, as though he is a character in a novel.

Harold Crick (Will Ferrell) and Ana Pascal (Maggie Gyllenhaal).

The voice is that of reclusive literary novelist Karen Eiffel (Emma Thompson), who is struggling with writer’s block writing her current novel, ‘Death and Taxes’. To her, Harold is nothing more than a figment of her imagination, a character she is free to do with as she pleases.

But to Harold, this is his real life. He has his own feelings, and does as he pleases. As he is performing an audit on community-minded baker Ana Pascal (Maggie Gyllenhaal), he is also developing romantic feelings towards her which, for the longest time, she definitely does not reciprocate.

As Harold struggles with the voice in his head, he seeks the advice of literature professor Jules Hilbert (Dustin Hoffman), particularly after he hears his narrator say that he is about to die.

Harold Crick (Will Ferrell) and Professor Jules Hilbert (Dustin Hoffman).

At the same time, Eiffel has been assigned help of her own: author’s assistant Penny (Queen Latifah), whose main aim is to see Eiffel finish her manuscript by the publisher’s deadline.

The screenplay, by Zach Helm, is incredibly clever, seamlessly blending the narration of Harold’s life (told in a very literary style) with the actual actions of Howard’s day-to-day existence. The relationships between the various characters are all very well crafted, in particular, the developing friendship between Harold and Ana.

There is not a lot of music underscoring the film, but what little there is - primarily at the most poignant moments of the story - works very well. Composers Britt Daniel and Brian Reitzell rely mainly on the use of a solo guitar - significant to the plot as you will notice - to accompany the moments of the film that are scored.

Karen Eiffel (Emma Thompson).

Roberto Schaefer’s cinematography is adequate, though not exceptional. I have no intention of criticising it, however, as the story itself does not require exceptional cinematography. There are only a few scenes which feature dramatic changes in lighting requirements, and these are done well anyway.

It is the performances of the cast, however, that make this film what it is. In particular, Ferrell and Thompson absolutely shine in their roles. Both of them prove that they not only have brilliant comic timing, but they are both able to go to the dramatic depths necessary, and have abilities as serious dramatic actors as well. Hoffman and Gyllenhaal also do very well in their supporting roles.

Director Marc Forster has made a very entertaining and very moving film here. I wou”d definitely recommend it to anyone who has yet to see it. There are some very good messages about the nature of life and love, and about what it means to be truly human.

8 out of 10.