The Secret Life of Walter Mitty is easily the feel-good movie of the year. This remake is quite different from the original 1947 feature, which involved a daydreamer getting mixed up in a government conspiracy. Ben Stiller's take is a more relatable movie about a man whose original dreams got sidetracked by a heavy dose of reality. Like so many of us, he's drab and ordinary on the outside...but his inner world is phenomenal and bursting at the seams, unbeknownst to anyone else. Mitty daily escapes into fantasies of his own making, which is appropriate because this movie requires some suspension of belief to buy.
If you can make some allowances though, this really is a lovely movie. Not just because of the spectacular forays of Walter Mitty's imagination takes us on -- which are delightful not because they're fantastic, but also because they're wrought with his sense of wit -- but because of how extraordinarily spectacular it shows reality to be. The scenes and locations and the raw scope of this movie were all awe-inspiring. And I may get some judgment for this next statement, but it almost felt like a Terence Malick movie for the masses. There's that same appreciation for the fleeting, although it's more overt (and more accessible) than your typical Malick feature.
If you can make some allowances though, this really is a lovely movie. Not just because of the spectacular forays of Walter Mitty's imagination takes us on -- which are delightful not because they're fantastic, but also because they're wrought with his sense of wit -- but because of how extraordinarily spectacular it shows reality to be. The scenes and locations and the raw scope of this movie were all awe-inspiring. And I may get some judgment for this next statement, but it almost felt like a Terence Malick movie for the masses. There's that same appreciation for the fleeting, although it's more overt (and more accessible) than your typical Malick feature.
Mitty is life-affirming without being overly preachy. It emphasizes the sacrifices we make in being adventurous, whether it's jumping on a helicopter or daring to make that move for a long-held ideal in a girl. The strength of this movie is that it shows you what you can do...not necessarily what you should do.
Ben Stiller is in high form here. His directing is a bit heavy-handed at times, but his acting certainly isn't. Both his performance and the humor are unforced and natural, making Mitty a thoroughly enjoyable and immersive experience. Mitty treads a fine line - actually achieving sincerity without coming off as cheesy or manufactured. A few times it teeters, and we get a glimpse of Stiller behind the movie (not to mention a few questionable moments that only exist to move the plot forward), but for the most part it's a gorgeous understated endeavor. Wonderful supporting work by Sean Penn, Shirley MacLaine, and Patton Oswalt definitely aid in this. Kristen Wiig is another high point as Mitty's love interest.
This movie isn't for everyone. But if you can forestall the cynicism that permeates so much of media today, you're in for a stirring ride.
Ben Stiller is in high form here. His directing is a bit heavy-handed at times, but his acting certainly isn't. Both his performance and the humor are unforced and natural, making Mitty a thoroughly enjoyable and immersive experience. Mitty treads a fine line - actually achieving sincerity without coming off as cheesy or manufactured. A few times it teeters, and we get a glimpse of Stiller behind the movie (not to mention a few questionable moments that only exist to move the plot forward), but for the most part it's a gorgeous understated endeavor. Wonderful supporting work by Sean Penn, Shirley MacLaine, and Patton Oswalt definitely aid in this. Kristen Wiig is another high point as Mitty's love interest.
This movie isn't for everyone. But if you can forestall the cynicism that permeates so much of media today, you're in for a stirring ride.
