"Little did he know that this seemingly innocuous act would lead to his imminent death."
It is with this single line of narration that Harold Crick’s life is turned upside down. And as a result of trying to learn more about his upcoming death, and his attempts to prevent such an incident, he turns everyone else's lives upside down.
This sci-fi film commences with Harold Crick (Will Ferrell) beginning his day like he always does. We watch him go through the numerical monotony of a normal day, all the while narrated by Emma Thompson’s character Kay Eiffel (who happens to be writing a novel about Crick without even knowing that he exists). But then, out of sheer boredom (or so we’re told), his wristwatch does something which alters Harold’s perception. He begins to hear Ms. Eiffel’s narration throughout his daily life, and it completely throws him out of whack. Particularly the previously mentioned line about his impending demise.
I call this a sci-fi film because, while it is a drama with comedic moments, it’s definitely a science fiction film; not in the sense of Star Trek, or Battlestar Galactica, but more along the lines of Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind. It’s our world, but there’s just one aspect of it that’s slightly askew (in this case, it’s Harold’s watch). Perhaps it could be a fantasy film because the wristwatch might be magic, but I wouldn’t classify this film as just a "drama".
Will Ferrell absolutely captivated me in this film. He was noble, polite, meek, and slightly nerdy, but never once was he "Will Ferrell, star of Anchorman, Talladega Nights, and Old School". He was wholly immersed in the role of Harold. In fact, Ferrell played him so well, that when you watch Harold eat his first freshly baked (not store-bought) cookie, you believe that it really is his first time tasting such a thing. Upon watching that, you can see Harold beginning to push beyond the limits of his life of strict order and rules and his desire to explore the unknown (such as a relationship with Maggie Gylenhaal’s character Ana Pascal). In fact, everything that Ferrell does as Harold feels real. And the more that you get to know Harold, the less you want him to die. I truly hope that Ferrell gets an Oscar nod for this role because he genuinely deserves it.
However, Ferrell isn’t the only member of the cast worth noting. Every single performer in this film was wonderful. From Maggie Gylenhaal’s portrayal of Ana Pascal, the bakery beauty to Dustin Hoffman’s literary scholar: Professor Hilbert, to Queen Latifah’s role as publishing “assistant” Penny Escher to Emma Thompson’s hermit novelist Kay Eiffel. Each of them added so much to the film that even the "quiet" moments spoke volumes.
It’s entertaining and interesting to see how Harold affects each of the main characters in his search for the narrator of his life, and the answers to his questions. At times, I was reminded of The Truman Show, not only because of Jim Carrey’s dramatic turn, but also because of the similarities of a few of the story events. (Unfortunately, I can’t elaborate without spoiling the film, so I’ll leave it at that.) Suffice to say this was a wonderful film to watch on multiple levels. It’s quite possibly the greatest film that I’ve seen all year. I think even fans of literature will enjoy it, because it references various types and works of fiction, as well as their relevance to Harold’s life. I honestly cannot find a single fault in the film. It all just clicks together perfectly.
So, yes, I will be seeing it again and I will be picking this up the moment that it’s released on DVD. And I encourage everyone to check it out as well. You’ll be glad you did.
