Will Ferrell is great too. My favourite bit is when he hears the narrator say "Little did he know that this simple seemingly innocuous act would result in his imminent death." because I like how we both say "what?" in unison.
I like the contrast that in a novel, a happy ending is simply an "okay" compromise while that in a film of this nature, a happy ending is vital. Simply put, in a great book Harold has to die but in a great film he certainly cannot.
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After the magnificent Volver, Broken Embraces was a bit of a letdown. It was funny and full of great scenes but it was overlong and I’m also not convinced of Penelope Cruz’s acting ability. I do think Blanca Portillo is fabulous though. Her ageing was done exceptionally well but I’m afraid the younging of the man who played Ray X made him look like David Walliam’s Lou character from Little Britain.
It's very rare that I see a film and think, "That was a story I hadn't seen before." Stranger Than Fiction was one of those. I think my favorite bit of dialogue from the film is "You were staring at my tits." "No, I'm sure I wasn't. And if I was, it was as a representative of the United States Government."
I agree. It's a wonderful idea and Emma Thompson's plummy tones just work beautifully.