Stranger Than Fiction (2006)

Harold Crick is an IRS agent who is solidly in a rut. He counts the strokes of his toothbrush and his steps to the bus, never varies his routine and sleeps alone. That is, until he starts hearing a voice in his head.

Far from the campy flicks that Will Ferrell is known for, Stranger Than Fiction is a touching look at possibilities finally fulfilled, chances taken and the internal discord that comes from killing people for a living. Emma Thompson is brilliantly peculiar as the author who narrates Harold Crick’s life and ultimately plans his demise.

My favorite thing about this movie is that it didn’t mind detouring from reality into the fanciful, although it kept its head very well. On a scale of “Eh” to “FANFUCKINGTASTIC!” I give it a “Wow, Will Ferrell can act? Seriously? AWESOME!” See it if you want to laugh and cry in the same five minutes.

Great New Wonderful (2005)

The child from hell puzzles his softly emotional parents. An animated security guard chats with his taciturn partner about life. A driven pastry chef annihilates her competition. The boring life of a housewife receives some much-needed agitation. An unorthodox psychologist reveals his patient’s angry side.

While perusing the selection at my local movie store, I noticed beautiful Maggie Gyllenhaal gracing the jacket of The Great New Wonderful. That alone made me pick up the DVD and read the synopsis on the back. Since it sounded relatively clever (and Maggie and I are secret lovahs) I decided that it would be my pick of the night.

Dubbed “a brilliant comedy”, The Great New Wonderful didn’t deliver the hilarity I was expecting. Instead, the movie was almost suffocatingly emotional and, although I did laugh out loud during some scenes, it would have been better labeled a drama.

Overall, on a scale from “Eh.” to “FANFUCKINGTASTIC!” I give The Great New Wonderful an “Alllllright.” Watch it if you like quirky little movies that don’t have much flow, but let you glimpse the inner workings of its characters lives.