Walter Mitty, whose name has entered the English language to describe someone as a daydreamer, first appeared in 1939, the lead character of James Thurber's The Secret Life of Walter Mitty, where he imagined himself everything from a brilliant surgeon to a fighter pilot. He hit the big screen in 1947, portrayed by Tony Kaye, but since then, the rights have languished, passed from studio to studio, and director to director, including Steven Spielberg and Gore Verbinski, with no joy. But now, it has found it's way to the big screen again, this time with Ben Stiller at the helm, delivering a visually stunning and uplifting tale of one man breaking out of his own personal bubble, and walking out into the world.
The Walter Mitty (Stiller) for the 21st century is a negatives asset manager for Life magazine, the only person that can deal with acclaimed, and eccentric, photographer Sean O'Connell (Sean Penn). Content with living in his own fantasy world instead of tackling life head on, his world is changed forever when a negative, sent by O'Connell to act as the cover for the final issue of Life, goes missing, sending Walter out on a journey across the globe to search for it.
Sharing similarities with the original short story in name only, Ben Stiller's vision of the story is at once visually unique and inspirational, and as a whole is something a bit more off beat than your usual Hollywood movie. The vivid day dreams, from an epic fight with his new boss (think of the Family Guy Chicken Fight brought to life) to some touching moments of connection with the woman he pines for (Kirsten Wiig), are unlike anything you have seen from Stiller the director. He treats both the epic and quiet, human moments of the story with the same amount of care, the entire movie having a light, witty feel unlike his usual uproarious comedies. There is a deeply affecting narrative running through this that, despite one or two moments in the middle where the story seems to stall, never loses your attention. Sure, the resolution to the story may not surprise anyone, but that's not the point. The Secret Life of Walter Mitty is there to uplift and inspire, and it does that effortlessly.
Once Walter begins his journey, that takes in everything from fighting sharks to climbing the Himalayas, the daydreams take a back seat, the movie becoming much more character driven. But that doesn't mean the visuals take a back seat, with sumptuous locales like Iceland and the Alps filling the screen. With all of the praise I've heaped on Stiller, some of that praise also belong to script writer Steve Conrad who has delivered a witty screenplay, filled with some wonderful characters that feel entirely real, complete with their own little quirks. Stiller shines in the lead role, and while his usual affable persona makes its way to the surface, his Mitty feels unlike his other roles. Watching his journey is fascinating, a quiet introvert breaking free of the restraints he put on himself, and is the centre of the movies most affecting scenes. He shares some good chemistry with Wiig, who, while not given much to do, puts in a great performance. Existing mostly as a disembodied voice, Patton Oswalt brings some of the big laughs as an eharmony agent, ringing at the most inopportune times.
Visually stunning, inspirational, and uplifting, this a fantastic directorial effort from Stiller, one that will stay with you for days. Highly recommended!
