A different Will Ferrellby John_McKoy

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September 07, 2009: In Stranger Than Fiction one encounters a completely different Will Farrell than the usual off-the-wall farcical comedian. Farrell's Harold Crick leads the mundane life of an IRS agent who meticulously calculates every aspect of his life from how many brush strokes he uses while brushing his teeth to how many steps it takes him to get from his apartment in unnamed downtown Chicago area to his nearby office. As Harold begins his daily routine one seemingly normal Wednesday morning, a voice begins narrating everything Harold does. As Harold searches for answers he encounters many unique characters, including a hilariously dry Dustin Hoffman who plays Jules Hilbert, a literature professor who tries to help Harold figure out if he is a character in a comedy or tragedy.

Taking the professor's advice, Harold begins living his life with passion and starts doing things he has always wanted to do, like learning how to play the guitar. Along the way Harold takes a quite unexpected interest in one of his auditees, a free-spirited baker named Ana Pascal played by the lovely Maggie Gyllenhaal, who helps Harold discover who he really is and why his life isn't so mundane after all.

The author of Harold's story, unknown to Harold, is an acclaimed author named Karen Eiffel (played by Emma Thompson) who is notorious for killing off all of the main characters in her novels. Eiffel struggles to find a way to end her book and kill Harold, but finally she comes up with a solution. In the end both Eiffel and Harold Crick realize how beautiful life really is and that it is the small, seemingly unimportant things, that make life worth living.

This surprisingly fresh and unique film is a thoughtful and light-hearted examination of living life the way it should be lived and enjoying every moment. The film is characterized by the splendid use of art and architecture in every scene which adds a nice visual bonus to an already well written script and talented cast. Director Mark Forster (Monster Ball, Finding Neverland) offers a truly unique tale that will elicit laughter and tug at your heartstrings with its believable characters and clever storyline.

And when the movie is over the DVD still offers must see special features. With these features you can see the funny on-set moments with the always outrageous Will Farrell that will make you wet your pants. Not only does the DVD offer deleted and extended scenes, but also behind the scenes featurettes of how the movie was made and unique commentaries from the actors and the producers of the film. This feature allows the viewer to see the beautiful sets and backdrops used in downtown Chicago and the Mies van der Rohe architecture so unique to the landscape.

The DVD allows the viewer the whole experience by offering high definition widescreen which makes the color of the unique backdrops a treat for the eyes and Dolby digital surround sound for the movie theatre sound experience.

This review was written about the DVD Wide Screen edition.

If you love books, you'll love this movie!by tommygrrl723

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March 14, 2009: Simply put: This movie is for booklovers.

As I watched this movie, I found myself caring for the characters so much that I was on the edge of my seat to see what happens to them. I laughed, I cried, and everything in-between. This is a wonderful film with an interesting premise, great actors, and wonderful performances. I Loved It!

This review was written about the DVD Wide Screen edition.