Stranger Than Fiction (Blu-ray)

 

Picture: B+     Sound: B     Extras: C-     Film: D

 

 

In comedy, the only thing Hollywood thinks will make money is when a given comedian goes overboard beyond anything, going for broke.  The crazy, outrageous, gross route has produced hit movies with certain comics, but that road is paved with bombs no matter who it is.  The most amusing thing is after so many such films, hits or bombs, the studios and stars suddenly think they can have a turnaround project where the outrageous actors can be taken seriously.

 

If it is an Art Carney, Dick Van Dyke or even Robin Williams, that is believable in advance, but when it is someone like a Jim Carrey or Will Ferrell, it is an instant recipe for disaster.  Ferrell has finally tried to take the Tom Hanks route with Marc Foster’s very lame Stranger Than Fiction, where he turns out to be the a person written by an author (Emma Thompson, as if her Merchant Ivory past will help this and make us forget Junior) who has him as the main character.  Of course, Ferrell’s IRS Agent is an isolated eccentric with health problems because he would have to be a complicated character.  These stories never have the persons be happier, which is how they find out their predicament, but investigating one problem that leads them to the big secret.

 

This semi-Science Fiction post-modernist idea goes all the way back to Buster Keaton’s silent classic Sherlock Jr., but Ferrell is playing it straight and is worse than Diane Keaton since Manhattan Murder Mystery.  Despite the addition of the likable Maggie Gyllenhaal, Dustin Hofmann and a suspiciously brief appearance by Queen Latifah, this is truly tired and embarrassing.  Ferrell is trying, but fighting a losing battle in this attempt to seemingly “rehabilitate” himself from the comedies that have made him and the studios hundreds of millions, so why do it?  Boredom, more money, respectability or a branching out when no one comes to see his comedies anymore perhaps?  Well, it does not work and when all is said and done, you are better off listen to the song by Split Enz of the same title than sitting through this film, because it is not even half as smart as it thinks it is.

 

The 1080p 1.85 X 1 digital High Definition image is more like what Blu-ray should even be offering for regular films like this, though Roberto Schaffer’s cinematography is nothing special or to write home about.  Color is consistent and there is good depth and detail, but it is far form demo material.  The PCM 5.1 16-bit/48kHz sound mix is even less impressive, dialogue-based and like listening to a slightly improved version of the PCM 2.0 we used to get on LaserDiscs all the time years ago, plus is better than the Dolby Digital 5.1 mix also included.  The combination is better than the standard DVD could hope to deliver and better than his hit Talladega Nights on Blu-ray.

 

Extras include several behind the scenes pieces, on-set gags and deleted scenes that could not save this bore.  Hope Thompson returns to better filmmaking soon.

 

 

-   Nicholas Sheffo