Stranger than Fiction

Marc Forster does a nice job in capturing the daily life of an OCD (if not, then close to it) individual in his first major directorial outing since Finding Neverland. The acting in this film is done extremely well by the very versatile Emma Thompson. Moreover, Will Ferrell shows that he is able to do more than play a comic role. His acting abilities shine in this film.

The film revolves around the premise that a man, Harold Crick, played by Ferrell, hears a voice of a woman narrating his life. The woman just so happens to be an author, played by Thompson. On one particular day, the author says that Harold Crick will die. This puts everything into motion. Very much concerned, Crick decides to seek out the advice of an English professor, played brilliantly by Dustin Hoffman.

I enjoyed this film for much the same reason I enjoyed Finding Neverland. Forster has an uncanny ability to create sappy scenes in his films without letting them get away. The scenes that create the greatest emotion never get too out of hand, which gives the film just the right splash of humor and drama.

All in all, this is a solid outing for the cast and crew. Moreover, this is a triumph for Ferrell as he positions himself for future roles as a more serious character. B+.