Stranger Than Fiction

I enjoyed Stranger Than Fiction, while recognizing its weaknesses. As many others have noted, this film is strongly reminiscent of the work of Charlie Kaufman, who freely intermingles reality with the existential into a mind-bending Moebius Strip. While this film isn't as profound as Kaufman's film, it is a breezy entertainment that also tickles the writer within me.

The story concerns a meek IRS agent, played by Will Ferrell. One day, as he's brushing his teeth, he hears a female voice narrating everything he does. He slowly comes to discover that he is the character in the new book by reclusive author Emma Thompson. He also discovers, through her use of the third-person omniscient, that he is about to die.

There are a number of things to enjoy here. I think my favorite parts are when Ferrell visits an English professor played by Dustin Hoffman. That Hoffman's character just assumes Ferrell is telling the truth is funny, as it is when Hoffman tries to narrow down the type of story Ferrell is in by asking him questions like, "Are you king of anything?" and "Do you have magic powers?"

The film's message--that one should live their life at full tilt, is a bit trite, and the romance that Ferrell strikes up with a rebellious baker, Maggie Gyllenhaal, is forced. But I was caught up in the film's overall sense of wonder and went along with it willingly. I think Thompson is a strong candidate for a Best Supporting Actress nomination, for she excellently captures the misery of being a writer, and the moment when she learns that her character may be real is quite moving.