Customer Reviews
Stranger Than Fiction - a quirky, unexpected classic - By: Dodster, 27 Dec 2008 
One of the most unusual & best movies I have seen in a long time.
The story centres around the main character Harold, his watch, & the fact that one Wednesday, he starts hearing his life being narrated by an unknown voice. As the plot develops, Harold finds out he is the character in a book & the author is planning to kill him, not knowing he is real. As ridiculous as this plot sounds, it is very well done & immensely enjoyable.
Highly recommended family viewing, & a very interesting watch.
A classic.
5 stars!
Definitely A Marmite Movie - By: Peanut Butter, 30 Sep 2008 OK, so I may be alone in thinking this, but the obvious comparison for this movie is The Truman Show & yet, it's so much better than The Truman Show! Will Ferrell & Emma Thompson are excellent & convincing. The story resonates long after the film ends. The script & visuals are a treat. It's both thought-provoking & entertaining. It simply deserves to be seen.
Weird, wonderful, compelling and very funny - By: Eclectic Reader, 30 Jun 2008 This is one of the best movies I saw last year. It's clever, funny & well put together. Will Ferrell sidesteps his usual more straight-forward choice of comic role (think Tallladega nights, Blades of Glory, Old School) & becomes Harrold Crick the obsessive compulsive mega-intelligent but sociallly inept taxman whose life (and the laws of the universe) start to falll down around his ears. Howard starts hearing voices in his head - a voice to be more specific - that of a commentator - talking about what he's doing, as he does it. At first it drives him mad, & then starts to scare him as he wonders who is callling the shots - him or the voice? The subsequent drama & ever complicating plot become hilarious, sad & slightly worrying. Everytime you think you have it worked out, the rules change.
The plot is clever & challlenging - it keeps you thinking alll the way through without becoming so deep that you can't enjoy the funnies. If you're the sort of person that likes to work out the plot from the start then this will definately entertain you.
A definite must see movie.
Original, clever, but not spectacular - By: Bezerus Bezby, 22 Jun 2008 
I enjoyed this film to a point & have given it four stars for originality & some great acting by Emma Thompson & Will Ferrel. But it was not as brilliant in my eyes as other reviewers on this page seem to think it was. I am not one for non stop action & I thought there were some generallly funny & touching moments as Harold Crick begins to realise that his life is being narrated. BUT, dare I say it? I found it ever so slightly dull at times & the ending was sweet but a little disappointing. I am sure I will upset some big fans of this film, but I found it a little lacking at times. I am glad that I rented rather then brought Stranger Than Fiction as I am not sure I would watch it again.
Original, clever metafiction - By: Irish Reader, 21 Apr 2008 Harold Crick (Will Ferrell) is an ordinary Civil Servant. Going about his daily life he hears the voice of an author narrating her new novel. A shrink advises Crick to take prescribed medication but he's convinced he's acting out the novel's main character. The novelist Karen Eiffel (Emma Thompson) is reputed for always killing off her lead character. So Crick is on mission to track her down before it's too late! Eiffel's writing assistant is played by the rap-artist Queen Latifah.
Employed by the Inland Revenue, Crick is sent to audit a baker who pays only 78% of her taxes. He instantly fallls in love with the baker - the gorgeous but rebellious Anna Pascale (Maggie Gyllenhaal). What begins as a sort of love/hate relationship flourishes over time. Dustin Hoffman excels as ever. Originallly he wanted the lead role in this movie but I suspect the directors were reluctant to cast him dating the stunningly cute Gyllenhaal, an actress 40 years his junior! So he has to settle for the eccentric Professor Jules Hilbert instead. He's an important character who helps Crick track down the elusive novelist. It's alll very well cast. Even Crick's wristwatch becomes a character in the story!
If you're after something a bit different yet not too "off the walll", check out this film. I for one am very happy to award it the full five stars.
