Review: The Secret Life of Walter Mitty
*Spoilers Alert
Do NOT forget to rate this post when you finish.
For those who don't
know, the movie is adapted from the same name book that was written by
"James Thurber" in 1939 and it is the second movie adaptation after
the 1947 movie that was directed by "Norman Z. McLeod" and stared
"Danny Kaye" as the titular role. The movie has been in the
development process for many years now with many actors attached to play the
titular role from "Jim Carrey" to "Owen Wilson" and
"Mike Meyers". Finally, "Ben Stiller" was finally given the
role to star in it and after a while to direct it. What is really moving and attracting
is the resemblance that many people can associate with. Who didn't ever at some
point in his life zone out and fantasize about doing something they wouldn't do
in real life. And that is why many related to it and actually enjoyed it. Plus
the marketing campaign the movie got was very grand in scale.
The pace and time
frame of the movie were almost perfect. The movie's not so serious yet not so
comedic tone was basically consistent in most of the movie, yet this thin line
does get passed whether it is being too serious at times or being to comedic at
times. The opening sequence in my opinion was a very clever way to set up the
character 'Walter', since after that we were able to witness the good
development of 'Walter' throughout the duration of the movie. The 'zoning out'
sequences were also very nicely directed and shot, especially that of Mexican
'Walter' and 'Walter' saving the people from the explosions. These dream
sequences were all included in the marketing campaign, which was a nice move
from the part of the marketing department. The ending was to a certain extent
predictable yet pleasing to watch. The usage of the exceptional scenery of
Island, where the movie was basically shot, complemented the aesthetic of the
movie.
*Spoilers Alert
Do NOT forget to rate this post when you finish.
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| Official 'The Secret Life of Walter Mitty' Poster. |
A beautiful and
meaningful movie, 'The Secret Life of Walter Mitty' is one of the most
beautiful and engaging reality/fantasy movies I have ever seen.
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| "Ben Stiller" and "Kristen Wiig". |
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| "Ben Stiller". |
The movie talks about
'Walter Mitty'(Ben Stiller), a negative asset manager of 'Life' magazine, who
has the habit of zoning out several times making him oblivious of what is happening
around him. When zoning out he usually starts to fantasize of adventures that
he's too afraid to chase, which is his way to get out of the daily
responsibilities he has in life whether at work or with his family. But when it
is announced that 'Life' magazine will stop the publication of physical issues and move to the online market, famous photojournalists 'Sean O’Connell'(Sean
Penn) sends the final cover image that in his opinion will capture the
'quintessence' of the magazine. But when 'Walter' finds problems in finding 'Negative 25', the cover image, he will try to find the missing image, while
unknowingly go into a self-discovering journey. Other characters include
'Cheryl Melhoff'(Kristen Wiig) 'Walter''s co-worker and love interest, 'Edna
Mitty'(Shirley McClaine) 'Walter''s mother, 'Odessa Mitty'(Kathryn Hahn)
'Walter''s sister, 'Ted Hendricks'(Adam Scott) 'Walter''s new obnoxious boss,
'Todd Maher'(Patton Oswalt) 'eHarmony' customer service representative and 'Tim
Naughton'(John Daly) one of 'Walter''s co-workers.
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| "Ben Stiller". |
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| "Ben Stiller" and "Sean Penn". |
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| "Ben Stiller" and "Kristen Wiig". |
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| "Ben Stiller". |
This movie isn't
"Ben Stiller"'s first directing job. He previously directed 'Reality
Bites' and 'The Cable Guy’. Also he previously directed and starred
in the hit 2008 movie 'Tropic Thunder'. It is not that easy to star and
direct in a movie, especially if people associate the name "Ben
Stiller" with comedy and people expecting another big comedic rollercoaster.
That said, "Ben" did an exceptional job providing an impactful,
engaging and moving movie experience. "Steven Conrad", known for
penning the screenplay of 'The Weather Man' and 'The Pursuit of
Happyness', did a commendable job modernizing the story and bringing the
story up-to-date. The inclusion of new elements such the magazine and online
dating, while still being true to the theme of escaping from life was done in a
balanced manner. Composer "Theodore Shapiro"('Marley & Me' and
'We're The Millers') gave the movie a beautiful score that complemented the
movie's themes and elevated it.
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| "Ben Stiller". |
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| "Ben Stiller". |
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| "Adam Scott". |
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| "Ben Stiller". |
As mentioned before,
not only did "Ben Stiller" direct the movie, but he also starred in
it. "Stiller" has previously proven his ability to deliver solid
performances in drama movies. And playing 'Walter Mitty' a man that many
audiences can relate to what he is growing was very surprising, rather than
over the top comedic characters. The balance of humor with philosophy to a
certain extent was achieved. "Kristen Wiig" is another comedic
actress who also proved that she can deliver and step outside her comfort zone.
The chemistry between "Stiller" and "Wiig" is unconventional
but believable. "Adam Scott" was one of the highlights of the movie,
and the fighting sequence that he shared with "Ben" was also one of
good movie sequences. "Sean Penn" was charismatic as usual;
"Shirley McClaine" and "Kathryn Hahn" were a breath of fresh
air. "Patton Oswalt"'s character was a phenomenal addition to the movie, where he delivered in a big way and "Jon Daly" performed well.
'The Secret Life of
Walter Mitty' may not be the perfect romantic adventure movie, but it is
definitely one of the better movies of 2013.
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| Official 'The Secret Life of Walter Mitty' Poster. |
-'The Secret Life of Walter Mitty' Info:
-Starring: Ben Stiller, Kristen Wiig, Shirley McClaine, Adam Scott, Kathryn Hahn, Sean Penn, Patton Oswalt, and Jon Daly.
-Based on: 'The Secret Life of Walter Mitty' by James Thurber.
-Studio(s): Red Hour Films, New Line Cinema and 20th Century Fox.
-Directed by: Ben Stiller.
-Screenplay by: Steve Conrad.
-Music by: Theodore Shapiro.
-Running Time: 114 minutes.
-Budget: $ 90,000,000.
-Box Office: -Domestic(US): $ 58,178,353.
-Foreign: $ 126,500,000.
-Ratings: -IMdb: 7.7/10.
-Rotten Tomatoes: 48%.
-Metacritic: 54%.
-PERSONAL RATING: 8.0/10.
-'The Secret Life of Walter Mitty' Trailer:
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