The Secret Life of Walter Mitty
Rated: PG
Starring: Ben Stiller, Kristen Wiig, Kathryn Hahn, Sean Penn.
WALTER Mitty will have you smiling from start to finish.The previews did nothing to encourage me to go and frankly I was reluctant, but after Walter daydreamed of his first grand adventure I was hooked.
Based on a short story by James Thurber, The Secret Life of Walter Mitty follows Walter (actor and director Ben Stiller) who escapes his monotonous life by daydreaming about grand adventures, amazing experiences and romance.
With his job under threat, and plan to impress unrequited crush and co-worker, Cheryl (Kristen Wiig), Walter takes real-world action and finds himself on an adventure more wild than he could imagine.
The camera work in this film is outstanding and the editingn is flawless as it cuts between ’reality’ and daydream – from Walter jumping out of posters to jumping out of helicopters.
Similarly, photography of Sean O’Connell (Sean Penn) and the scenery of Walter’s real-world adventures are breathtaking and bound to leave the viewer daydreaming of visiting far-off places like Greenland and Afghanistan.
Although the overall theme of the film is pretty obvious – take your life and live it – The Secret Life of Walter Mitty doesn’t get bogged down in the serious theme.
Interspersed among Walter’s daydreams and adventures are some fantastical and humorous scenes with references to The Curious Case of Benjamin Button and stereotypes of Greenland and its residents.
The Secret Life of Walter Mitty is over the top, the characters outrageous (although expertly played) and the storyline hardly believable but it is a still a film to watch again and again – and each time you will find yourself smiling as the credits roll.
– Nicole Williams
