“Walter Mitty" : Don't Dream It, Be It!
Ben Stiller is easily misunderstood. His biggest successes tend to be filed under “Mainstream movie ha-ha“, his edgier, more ambitious side is routinely overlooked, be it his daring performance in “Permanent Midnight“ or the darker, deeper aspects of his directorial works like “The Cable Guy“ or “Tropic Thunder“ (“Never go full retard!“).
That does not bode too well for either the critical or commercial prospects for Stiller’s latest, a remake of sorts of the colourful 1947 Danny Kaye comedy “The Secret Life of Walter Mitty“. To a degree, Stiller’s bringing it upon himself: Neither “hilariously funny“ nor overtly arthouse-y, his film is a nightmare to properly market. If the movie tanks, it won’t be too big a surprise.
But don’t let those things fool you – Stiller’s “Mitty“ is an incredibly well made, bittersweet and rewarding thing and well worth seeing on the big screen. Playing the titular character, a meek office drone at the photo archive of the soon to close Life magazine, Stiller adds some serious emotional depth to the film: Yes, Mitty gets caught up in elaborate daydreams and “zones out“, imagining a much cooler, more adventurous version of himself early in the movie, one that might impress co-worker Cheryl (Kristen Wiig). But unlike the Danny Kaye version, Stiller’s story is actually all about taking that step or leap forward: Don’t dream it, be it. When the designated cover photo for Life’s final issue goes missing, Mitty tries to locate the elusive star photographer Sean O’Connell (Sean Penn) and goes of on a very real adventure across the world.
All tech credits are top-notch (with DP Stuart Dryburgh’s photography a stand-out), but it’s Stiller’s restraint and keen eye for storytelling details that make this an awesome movie: Toning down the comedy while keeping things fun and exciting and being sentimental without resorting to (rom-com) kitsch, “The Secret Life of Walter Mitty“ is this rarest of cinematic beasts, an inspirational movie that actually manages to touch and inspire. (Souchak)
That does not bode too well for either the critical or commercial prospects for Stiller’s latest, a remake of sorts of the colourful 1947 Danny Kaye comedy “The Secret Life of Walter Mitty“. To a degree, Stiller’s bringing it upon himself: Neither “hilariously funny“ nor overtly arthouse-y, his film is a nightmare to properly market. If the movie tanks, it won’t be too big a surprise.
But don’t let those things fool you – Stiller’s “Mitty“ is an incredibly well made, bittersweet and rewarding thing and well worth seeing on the big screen. Playing the titular character, a meek office drone at the photo archive of the soon to close Life magazine, Stiller adds some serious emotional depth to the film: Yes, Mitty gets caught up in elaborate daydreams and “zones out“, imagining a much cooler, more adventurous version of himself early in the movie, one that might impress co-worker Cheryl (Kristen Wiig). But unlike the Danny Kaye version, Stiller’s story is actually all about taking that step or leap forward: Don’t dream it, be it. When the designated cover photo for Life’s final issue goes missing, Mitty tries to locate the elusive star photographer Sean O’Connell (Sean Penn) and goes of on a very real adventure across the world.
All tech credits are top-notch (with DP Stuart Dryburgh’s photography a stand-out), but it’s Stiller’s restraint and keen eye for storytelling details that make this an awesome movie: Toning down the comedy while keeping things fun and exciting and being sentimental without resorting to (rom-com) kitsch, “The Secret Life of Walter Mitty“ is this rarest of cinematic beasts, an inspirational movie that actually manages to touch and inspire. (Souchak)