Stranger than Fiction (www.the-usher.com)

"Little did he know..."

Harold Crick's (Farrell) life was run by the numbers. He followed the same routine every day, from brushing this teeth the same number of times every morning, counting his steps to the bus stop and this job as an IRS agent meant that he dealt with numbers every day. His routine is the same and never broken until one, fateful day. On this day he hears a voice in this head, narrating every aspect of his life and giving him an insight in what he is going to do next but when the voice tells him that he is going to die, Harold Crick suddenly starts to panic.

Will Farrell is known for his wild and crazy comedies but can he move up to a slightly more highbrow type of comedy.

Jim Carrey, Steve Martin and Steve Carell all started playing wacky and crazy characters on TV and on film. They were taken more seriously however when they appeared in films like 'The Truman Show', 'Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind', 'LA Story', 'Shopgirl' and 'Little Miss Sunshine' but can Will Farrell do the same? He has tried when he starred in Woody Allen's 'Melinda and Melinda' but that wasn't critical hit he was hoping for but 'Stranger than Fiction' is the film he has been looking for.

Imagine if your life was just story in someone else's mind and the writer was narrating every minute you spent on this earth. That is what is happening to Harold Crick. As he lives out his mundane, repetitive and lonely life, he starts to hear a woman's voice commenting on everything he does but when she says the words 'little did he know…', his life is changed forever.

As the lonely IRS agent Harold Crick, Farrell creates a character that is as far removed from creations like 'Ron Burgundy', 'Frank Richards', 'Buddy' or 'Ricky Bobby' as he could get. He is a timid, quiet man who has very little in his life except his work and his routine. This all changes when he starts to her the voice and he finally starts to wake up to life. This is a role that finally shows that there is more to Will Farrell than most people would have ever have thought. This is a controlled and warm performance that is nothing like his usual manic, frantic and extremely similar characters he has become known for.

The supporting cast is first rate. The ever-brilliant Emma Thompson is writer Kay Eiffel whose latest book is quite literally Harold Crick's life. The only problem is that she has writers block and doesn't have an ending so both her and Harold don't know what is coming next. This is a character made all of the more watchable by the exceptional Thompson, who is actually a joy to watch. Dustin Hoffman is also excellent as literary professor Jules Hilbert, the man Harold turns to, to figure out who is narrating his life. The extremely talented Maggie Gyllenhaal plays baker Ana Pascal, the object of Harold's affections who just happens to hate him because he has been sent to audit her. You also have good performances from Queen Latifah as Kay's assistant Penny Escher and Tony Hale as Harold's only friend Dave.

'Stranger than Fiction' is a gem of a movie. It is an intelligent comedy that will stimulate your mind as it tickles your funny bone. It is filled with joyous, passionate and fun performances from an excellent ensemble cast and Will Farrell is a revelation. While the ending will cause discussion and debate amongst viewers, this will not deter you from enjoying this original and heart-warming movie that is set to become a firm favourite.

PICTURE & SOUND

Presented in Widescreen 2.35:1 Anamorphic with a Dolby Digital 5.1 soundtrack, the transfer is good.

BONUS FEATURES

Actors in search of a Story (18.37 mins)
Director Mark Foster, screenwriter Zach Helm, producer Lindsey Doran, executive producer Eric Kopeloff and stars Will Ferrell, Maggie Gyllenhaal, Emma Thompson, Dustin Hoffman, Queen Latifah and Tony Hale take you behind the scenes of 'Stranger than Fiction'. The group talk about the story, the characters and the casting of the film.

Building the Team (8.32 mins)
Director Mark Foster, screenwriter Zach Helm, producer Lindsey Doran, executive producer Eric Kopeloff, production designer Kevin Thompson, visual effects designer Kevin Tod Hagg and stars Will Ferrell, Emma Thompson and Dustin Hoffman talk about getting involved in the project, working with the director and creating the look of the movie.

On Location in Chicago (10.31 mins)
Director Mark Foster, screenwriter Zach Helm, producer Lindsey Doran, executive producer Eric Kopeloff, production designer Kevin Thompson, visual effects designer Kevin Tod Hagg, managing director Brenda Sexton and editor Matt Chesse talk about filming in Chicago and using real locations for the main sets of the film.

Words on a Page (9.28 mins)
Director Mark Foster, screenwriter Zach Helm and producer Lindsey Doran talk about the influences behind the script, the characters and the comedic tone of the piece.

Picture a number: The Evolution of a G.U.I. (17.13 mins)
Director Mark Foster, visual effects designer Kevin Tod Hagg, editor Matt Chesse and graphic artist Ben Radatz talk about illustrating Harold Crick's world and creating the Graphic User Interface that shows what he is thinking.

On the Set (2.59 mins)
Watch behind the scenes footage from the making of 'Stranger than Fiction'

Deleted/Extended Scenes
Watch two scenes entitled 'Book Channel Interview with Karen Eiffel (extended)' and 'Book Channel interview with Peter Allen Prothero'

Trailers
Previews of 'Ghost Rider', 'The Pursuit of Happyness', 'Marie Antoinette', 'Running with Scissors', 'Catch & Release', 'All the Kings Men' and 'Are we done yet?'

OVERALL

The DVD treatment for 'Stranger than Fiction' is very good, as you'd expect from a Sony release. The featurettes are very good, cover all aspects of the film's production. The only thing missing is a commentary track but the featurettes cover most things that the director would have said. Fans should be very pleased with the release.

DVD

The Truman Show

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2006