critically acclaimed

the truth about romance

Stranger Than Fiction-
the woman and me got the chance to catch a rare two movie weekend this past and one of the ones that we saw was Will Ferrell's new "serious" piece. before i saw the trailer i was super excited about the film. i loved the permise of a man hearing a narrator's voice that is telling his life story and about how he was going to die. then i saw all the trailers and i became less excited. in this Borat soaked world i didn't shift any focus onto this seemingly lost amounst the suffle crowd but the woman really wanted to see it. to sum it up nicely this is Ferrell's "Eternal Sunshine." that perfect wistful comedy that is equal parts romantic comedy and silly witty banter as well.

the movie wasn't amazing or groundbreaking but it was sweet, fun, and a joy to watch. it didn't break the mold, or wow me to death but right now i'm just aiming for a movie that will entertain the hell out of me and prove that Will Ferrell is possibly the greatest comedic mind of our time.

all in all this movie has the perfect formula for me. witty, quick fire banter that throws out odd lines that could get a laugh with some and not with others. Ferrell plays Harold Crick with enough comic silliness just under the surface but with the shy, embarrassed demeanor on the outside. there is a scene in which he is in therapy and a woman is telling him that he has schizophrenia and he just keeps repeating his symptoms and i just giggled over and over again. the thing that i loved about this movie was that it was the perfect romantic comedy and not the utterly pointless bullshit that is thrown out by the hollywood machine. the characters are genuine and unique not the cookie cutter blonde girl and jockish type dude. welcome to the real world were love is not normal and people with real jobs actually fall in love under bizarre and complicated circumstances. i also love how it is so uncomfortable for Ferrell to talk to the beautiful/talented Maggie Gyllenhaal. that is how love is uncomfortable, difficult, and embarrassing.

so without even realizing it this movie jumped into my top 5 of the year not because it was great. but simply because it was sweet, funny, and easy to watch. that is what some movies should be. plus the scene where Ferrell is looking at guitars with Emma Thompson narrating is probably one of the best scenes all year. take a date to this one because guys and girls will like it the same.

posted by critically acclaimed @ 1:50 PM