An IRS auditor (Will Ferrell) suddenly finds himself the subject of narration only he can hear. A narration that begins to affect his entire life, from his work, to his love-interest, to his death. (imdb.com)

So I just saw Stranger Than Fiction starring Emma Thompson, Will Ferrell, Maggie Gyllenhaal, Queen Latifah and Dustin Hoffman. From the beginning until the end the film is fun, smart and engaging. The film’s about an IRS auditor who suddenly starts hearing a voice narrating his life and a writer who has writers block. It just so happens, the writer is the the voice the auditor hears because he is the main character in the the story she is writing. What makes this film not silly and very watchable is Will Ferrell and Emma Thompson, though the entire cast is perfect.

Emma Thompson, being Emma Thompson never disappoints. She’s one of very few actresses who consistently gives exceptional performances in any film she appears in probably because she chooses (and can choose) her roles carefully. In Stranger Than Fiction, she chose to play a writer, Kay Eiffel, with writers block tormented with the dilemma on how to kill off her hero. Thompson’s performance remains dramatic and humorous without ever being not believable or not funny. The drama’s never overdramatic and the humor is never not funny. As for Mr. Ferrell, his role as Harold Crick, an IRS auditor who lives a very dull and predictable life until it changes suddenly one day when he begins hearing a voice narrating his thoughts and movements, is comparable to Jim Carrey’s role in Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind. Both Ferrell’s Harold Crick and Carrey’s Joel Barish roles proved that these two slapstick and silly comedians can play dramatic roles that are believeable and exceptional. Basically, the roles proved they are actors and not simply comedians in films. The difference, however, between Ferrell and Carrey is that, well there are two difference. One, I just like Ferrell more. And two, Carrey often played carricatures and not characters unlike Ferrell who often plays characters who just happened to be very silly and often ridiculous but somehow not annoying and quite often, believable. I even liked his silly, though of course not entirely believable character as the elf in The Elf. The character wasn’t believable simply because he was an elf, not because the elf was played by Ferrell. Anyway, Ferrell achieves a sort of dead on humor a little like Steve Carrell but much more sincere and quite effortless. It’s strange to see Ferrell being funny but not silly.

Dunstin Hoffman’s role as Professor Hilbert, the literary theorist who tries to help Harold figure out whether his story is a tragedy or a comedy, reminds me of his very funny role in the 2004 existential comedy I Heart Huckabees. Maggie Gyllenhaal’s role as the baker Harold audits and soon falls in love with, was great too. Queen Latifah’s role as Kay’s assistant who’s hired by her publishers to help her overcome her writer’s block, is solid and doesn’t interrupt the plot, the humor, the drama etc. as big named black (and non-black) performers or actors do when they play a smaller role in a film. No “black” jokes, etc., or out of character lines that serve only to beef up their contribution to the film rather than serve the storyline.

I would say this film is one of the best’s of the year and in the recent few years. The best thing about Stranger Than Fiction is that it strikes a perfect balance between comedy and drama. Even at the end when you don’t know what’s going to happen to Harold, and then you know, and still it changes, your satisfied with the result. I find that many times when something is expected at the end or anywhere during the course of a film, but then it changes, the change is often not believable or rather too obvious and contrived and just disappointing. Not so for Stranger Than Fiction. It’s a thoroughly satisfying movie.

• Directing: [rating:4/5]
• Acting: [rating:4/5]
• Casting: [rating:4/5]
• Cinematography: [rating:4/5]
• Writing: [rating:4/5]
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