secret-life-of-walter-mitty-ben-stiller

The idea of facing that which terrifies you and changing your lifestyle is not a new concept in movies, it’s been done many times before with mixed results.  This is the theme of Ben Stiller’s newest film, The Secret Life Of Walter Mitty, easily the most ambitious project the actor/director has ever worked on.  The result is a poignant and witty comedy/drama that pleases in a variety of different ways.

Based on the short story by James Thurber, the film tells the story of Walter Mitty – a negative assets specialist at Life magazine who spends his uneventful days slipping into elaborate fantasies where he is the consumate hero.  When a snide executive enters the fray (played mercilessly by a bearded Adam Scott)  to usher Life from print to digital, Walter fears for his job and those of his longtime co-workers.  Things are made worse when Walter loses the negative for the final issue’s cover, shot by elusive photographer Sean O’Connell (Sean Penn).

In the ensuing scramble to recover the lost slide, Walter develops a friendship with Cheryl (Kristen Wiig), a co-worker who is the object of his secret affections.  Through her suggestion, Walter embarks on a quest to locate Sean and recover the missing negative, which takes him all over the world and helps to reignite an inner courage he assumed had disappeared.

Since Thurber published his short story in The New Yorker back in 1939, the name “Walter Mitty” has become synonymous with somebody who is more useful in his/her own daydreams than in society.  For the most part, Stiller allows Walter to exist this way throughout the first half hour or so of the film.  When we meet him, he sits at his dining room table balancing a checkbook, and battling with the urge to “wink” at his secret love Cheryl on eHarmony.  It’s a simple click of the mouse, but Walter is paralyzed by uncertainty.  It’s clear that this innocuous choice is a metaphor for his entire life.  Stiller plays Walter with a quiet sadness, meandering through his life with expressionless subjugation.  His few   priorities in life are his sweet and supportive mother (played by the great Shirley MacLaine) and his leeching, aspiring actress sister  (played by the ever-reliable Kathryn Hahn).  His fantasies are exaggerated greatly with hilarious effect, especially a relentless CGI-heavy fight sequence between Adam Scott and Stiller that looks like it was ripped out of any comic book movie.

When Mitty finds the courage to embrace the unknown we are treated to some of the most remarkable visuals in the film. Cinematographer Stuart Dryburgh makes use of some truly magical locations, taking us from the choppy waters and lush landscape of Greenland and Iceland to the harsh and relentless terrain of the Himalayas.  These sequences are often accompanied by spirited indie rock tunes from bands like The Arcade Fire and Of Monsters and Men which elevate the beauty and tone of the film to something more uplifting, which simultaneously diminishes the input of a limited score from composer Theodore Shaprio.  The locations used in the film accent the journey of our title hero, and evoke an inner longing which exists in all of us – a thirst for experience.  No matter how major or minor, we live vicariously through Walter’s journey.  The last chapter of the story provides warm satisfaction and hope, however unrealistic the scenario may seem.

Stiller, serving as both director and star, is an ideal choice for Walter.  His self-effacing persona lends an everyman quality to his characters (Derek Zoolander not withstanding) which gives the audience a protagonist to root for.  He found great chemistry with Kristen Wiig, who is enjoying the freedom of her post-Saturday Night Live film career.  As Cheryl, Wiig is more grounded here, even when she delivers a rousing rendition of David Bowie’s “Space Oddity” in a surprisingly touching fantasy sequence.  The rest of the cast fit perfectly into their roles, with Shirley MacLaine and Kathryn Hahn making the most of their time on screen as Walter’s mother and sister respectively, and Sean Penn delivering a heartfelt performance as Mitty’s white whale Sean O’Connell, which amounts to an extended cameo.  We’re even treated to a cameo from the great Patton Oswalt as an eHarmony worker who tries to help Walter build his presence on the online dating site.

Stiller proves again that his talents as a director are evolving, and the passion behind this film is evident throughout.  Perhaps that’s the most thrilling aspect of the movie.  It’s a story of a very ordinary man, doing very incredible things, and it almost never disappoints.  Chances are that like this writer, you’ll have a smile on your face throughout the duration of the film.

[Rating:4/5]

 

 

 

 

 

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