Stranger Than Fiction
By Helen Cuthbertson, Blockbuster.co.uk

“You have a voice speaking to you?”
“About me, accurately, and with a better vocabulary”

It would be a hard task to find a more charming film that has come out this month than Stranger Than Fiction, directed by the man behind Monster’s Ball and Finding Neverland, Marc Foster. Starring Will Ferrell, Emma Thompson, Maggie Gyllenhaal, Queen Latifah and Dustin Hoffman, it is as delightful as it is original.

Emma Thompson is Karen Eiffel, a novelist who writes tragedies and hasn’t published anything for ten years, thanks to a severe case of writer’s block. She has her central character and she is moving the plot forward, albeit slowly. The one problem is that she seems unable to think up the perfect way for her character to die - essential if her novel is to achieve the desired tragic effect.

Will Ferrell is Harold Crick. Everyday he gets up and goes to work as an auditor for the IRS, until one day, in the midst of his usual routine he hears a voice. It is a woman’s voice, narrating and predicting with precision the exact path that his life is going to take. More confused than afraid, Harold is determined to discover who this woman is.

Unfortunately for him, she is Karen Eiffel and he is her central character.
“I think I’m in a tragedy.”

It is impossible to fully describe exactly what makes this film so good. There are certain details that can’t be reproduced in a review, such as Harold’s reliance on his wristwatch, the subtlety of the humour or the wonderful characterisation. The acting is excellent and the strong cast makes the most of a superb script by newcomer Zach Helm.

This is not a typical Will Ferrell outing, and, while this actually improves my previously indifferent opinion of him, if you’re looking for characters straight out of Anchorman or Talladega Nights, this may not be for you. However, if you’re after something a bit different, this is a good bet and without a doubt should be watched by anyone fond of quirky dramas. Stranger Than Fiction is funny, heart-warming and as satisfying as a batch of fresh cookies dipped in warm milk.

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