Stranger Than Fiction, Mozart and the Whale, Bedrooms and Hallways
Stranger than Fiction (2006)
[ 3 stars out of 4 ]
Strangely enough, I found Will Farrell more fascinating here than in his other films where he usually plays a dumb goofball. His character is mature but has his moments of absolute silliness, sentimental and sensitive, and best of all, we care about what would happen to him. Farrell’s performance is equalled by the supporting cast: Emma Thompson, Maggie Gyllenhaal and Queen Latifah. All of them are intelligent characters that capture the essence of regular people in real life. I think this is the kind of movie that one would do better without questioning every logic. Yes, it’s imaginative and quirky (and some events that drive the story are impossible) but that’s part of the fun. It’s a surreal comedy and we just have to accept it for what it is. I found this film to be very literate and involving; not to mention pretty much everything that’s going on in this film, from Thompson’s writer’s block to the romance between Gyllenhaal and Farrell, works. Lastly, I thought it was a smart move when the filmmakers decided to let Farrell and Thompson meet a little bit more than the half-way mark. I thought that their big reunion would happen in the end, so I was surprised. That way, we get to really understand the many complex issues between the writer and her subject. I think this is a really good film that is comparable to “Being John Malkovich” (though less grand in scope) in many respects.
Mozart and the Whale
[ 2 stars out of 4 ]
While I was watching the film, I caught myself smiling from time to time because the story and its characters are very cute and nice. And that’s the movie’s problem: it’s just nice. I feel like the filmmakers could’ve aimed at something higher than a cute romance between Josh Hartnett and Radha Mitchell, two really talented and underrated actors. I don’t know much about Asperger’s syndrome so I don’t know how accurately the film portrayed those people who have that disability. However, upon reading other reviews who do have relatives that have the disability, they claim that the portrayal is inaccurate. It’s unfortunate because I wanted to know more about people who have Asperger’s, especially after watching Heather on “America’s Next Top Model” Cycle 9. The direction could have used some work because the film started off really good. But as the ending approached, the movie kind of fizzled out. I would’ve given this picture a three stars if it would’ve at least maintained its momentum. The chemistry between Hartnett and Mitchell worked and they looked good together. It’s a shame most people don’t realize that Hartnett is more than just a heartthrob; he can be a serious actor if he so chooses. As much as I liked this movie, I can’t quite enthusiastically recommend it because it could’ve been so much more.
Bedrooms and Hallways
[ 2 stars out of 4 ]
I usually like gay and lesbian films from Europe because most of them are more honest and are able to delve more into the lives of their characters than American films. However, this is one of those unfortunate exceptions. Overall, I liked the movie: the acting was okay, the cast is pretty good, and the story was tolerable. However, I didn’t like the movie’s ultimate message because it’s very inaccurate when it comes to portraying homosexuality. With that egregious ending, I was completely turned off by the film and I almost gave this a one star out of four prior to writing my review. But I did like it up until the ending so I decided to give it a break. It’s a really disappointing picture because, with a little tweak in the story here and there, this could’ve turned out to be an insightful commentary about gays that are entering or in their thirties. That issue of wanting to find the one and ultimately settling down is not fully explored, but only glossed over. The chemistry between Kevin McKidd and James Purefoy was cute but nothing groundbreaking. I also thought the bit about the friend (played by Tom Hollander) and the real state agent was distracting even though it provided the much needed humor. Overall, this movie had serious problems and needed a complete rewriting (especially the end) if it were to end up a good movie.
