The Secret Life of Walter Mitty (2013) (English Language)

Review

114min

Genre:    Adventure, Comedy, Fantasy

Director: Ben Stiller

Cast:      Ben Stiller, Kristen Wiig, Sean Penn…and more

Writers:  Steve Conrad and James Thurber

Walter Mitty is a chronic daydreamer who lives a mundane life as a photograph technician at “Life” magazine, when the company moves online and everyone’s job is threatened, Walter embarks on a globe-trekking adventure beyond his wildest dreams to find the lost photo negative that will change his world on the way to wooing the girl of his dreams.

‘The Secret Life of Walter Mitty’ is based on the 1947 Danny Kaye film of the same name, which itself is loosely based on the classic American short story by James Thurber, but director/star Ben Stiller’s version is a far more fanciful and innocent affair and a real 21st century visual feast for the eyes.

As well as directing, Ben Stiller also leads a strong cast with comedic and dramatic chops featuring the likes of Kristen Wiig, Sean Penn and Shirley MacLaine, no doubt the film has strong comedic charms but “Mitty” truly excels when its sense of adventure is set free resulting in some of the most striking and untouched panoramic vistas in recent movie memory, from the volcanic landscapes of Iceland to the snow-capped heights of the Afghan Himalayas.

In terms of story and tone ‘The Secret Life of Walter Mitty’ can be all over the place trying to fit together the pieces of a quirky Woody Allenesque romantic comedy with an epic adventure of self-discovery, while intercutting with ludicrous Hollywood blockbuster-style daydream sequences, the result can be uneven but the central and symbolic quest to find the missing negative manages to anchor the film just enough to let the charm and visual spectacle shine through.

Yes the film is rather naive at its heart and there is somewhat of a Hallmark card quality to it, but there’s nothing wrong with succumbing to a bit of fanciful charm once and a while, ‘The Secret Life of Walter Mitty’ lives in a forgotten era where the artist/photographer managed to capture the essence of life while living it… and it encourages you to snap out of the grind, stop dreamin’ and start livin’.

The Bottom Line…

Although slightly naive and constantly changing gears, ‘The Secret Life of Walter Mitty’ is nevertheless a charming and visually spectacular life-affirming adventure from comedy superstar turned accomplished director Ben Stiller.

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Life of Pi (2012)

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Directed by Ang Lee and starring Suraj Sharma, Irrfan Khan and Gérard Depardieu among others.

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