Stranger than Fiction
Little late this week, but here it is none-the-less!
Bulldog Reviews
“Stranger than Fiction”
By: Michael Pickowicz
When watching “Stranger than Fiction”, I like to reflect back on to my review of “Man of the Year” and my shock about how unfunny the movie was. While I was a little less informed about “Stranger than Fiction”, I still was expecting something really funny considering Will Farrell’s participation. While that isn’t exactly what I got, I can safely say that, unlike “Man of the Year”, “Stranger than Fiction” takes a chance and brings something new to the table.
“Stranger than Fiction” is a “dramady” that follows the life of a pathetic and lonely man named Harold Crick (Will Farrell). One day, Harold wakes up to discover that he can hear a voice that seems to be narrating his life. To his aggravation, there is nothing he can do to stop it. When the voice finally hints at Harold’s upcoming death, Harold goes on a mission to find out who the voice actually is and what he can do to stop it.
There is a lot to like in “Stranger than Fiction”. First off, the acting is top notch on all parts. Will Farrell steps out of his usual role and finally play a character that is not only serious, but also a loser at life. It almost reminded me of a role Bill Murray, as of recent, would be playing (minus Garfield) if he was a bit younger. The movie also has a great since of humor. While not laugh-out-loud funny, it does have a great dry sense of humor that is rare to find in comedies today. I’m also impressed at how original the story is. While I was expecting the story to be gimmicky and simply focused on just Will Farrell hearing the voice that makes him go crazy, the nice twist of him realizing he was going to die makes takes the movie in a cool direction. All is not good in this movie however. What ultimately stops the movie from being great is the way the plot was handled. There is so much going on in the movie, it just can’t seem to focus on one thing. The plot switches from point to point so randomly that you never really get a chance to sit back and appreciate what is going on. An example, while not spoiling, would be when Harold finally discovers true love half way through the movie. After it happens, that whole love plot is completely drop for the rest of the movie. Even the narrations almost entirely stop after the voice talks about Harold’s death just to make room for new plots in the mix. This seems to stretch the film some what thin, taking away some of the movie’s heart.
I liked this film. I really did. It’s just tough when a film of this genre lacks the heart that makes you fall in love with the characters. At times, I did, but, in the end, they were forgettable. I do, however, recommend going to see this movie just because of its original plot and humor that entertains to the very end. Fans of Will Farrell beware: this is not Ricky Bobby or Ron Burgundy. Expect to see him in a more serious and, in some ways, better role. I’ve debated for days, but I feel “Stranger than Fiction” deserves 3 ½ Bulldogs out of 5.
Bulldog Reviews
“Stranger than Fiction”
By: Michael Pickowicz
When watching “Stranger than Fiction”, I like to reflect back on to my review of “Man of the Year” and my shock about how unfunny the movie was. While I was a little less informed about “Stranger than Fiction”, I still was expecting something really funny considering Will Farrell’s participation. While that isn’t exactly what I got, I can safely say that, unlike “Man of the Year”, “Stranger than Fiction” takes a chance and brings something new to the table.
“Stranger than Fiction” is a “dramady” that follows the life of a pathetic and lonely man named Harold Crick (Will Farrell). One day, Harold wakes up to discover that he can hear a voice that seems to be narrating his life. To his aggravation, there is nothing he can do to stop it. When the voice finally hints at Harold’s upcoming death, Harold goes on a mission to find out who the voice actually is and what he can do to stop it.
There is a lot to like in “Stranger than Fiction”. First off, the acting is top notch on all parts. Will Farrell steps out of his usual role and finally play a character that is not only serious, but also a loser at life. It almost reminded me of a role Bill Murray, as of recent, would be playing (minus Garfield) if he was a bit younger. The movie also has a great since of humor. While not laugh-out-loud funny, it does have a great dry sense of humor that is rare to find in comedies today. I’m also impressed at how original the story is. While I was expecting the story to be gimmicky and simply focused on just Will Farrell hearing the voice that makes him go crazy, the nice twist of him realizing he was going to die makes takes the movie in a cool direction. All is not good in this movie however. What ultimately stops the movie from being great is the way the plot was handled. There is so much going on in the movie, it just can’t seem to focus on one thing. The plot switches from point to point so randomly that you never really get a chance to sit back and appreciate what is going on. An example, while not spoiling, would be when Harold finally discovers true love half way through the movie. After it happens, that whole love plot is completely drop for the rest of the movie. Even the narrations almost entirely stop after the voice talks about Harold’s death just to make room for new plots in the mix. This seems to stretch the film some what thin, taking away some of the movie’s heart.
I liked this film. I really did. It’s just tough when a film of this genre lacks the heart that makes you fall in love with the characters. At times, I did, but, in the end, they were forgettable. I do, however, recommend going to see this movie just because of its original plot and humor that entertains to the very end. Fans of Will Farrell beware: this is not Ricky Bobby or Ron Burgundy. Expect to see him in a more serious and, in some ways, better role. I’ve debated for days, but I feel “Stranger than Fiction” deserves 3 ½ Bulldogs out of 5.
posted by Mikepicko at 6:30 PM
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