Hi everyone
I have now seen this film twice in the space of a weekend. The second time I watched this film I had booked tickets for The Hobbit but yet again my cinema had sold me tickets for seats that do not exist. For some reason most of the rows in the screens start at seat 5 or 6 so when I tried to find seats 3 and 4 all I could find were the steps going up and some disgruntled cinema goers due to the fact that I had accused them of sitting in our seats. I was not a happy bunny but the cinema doesn’t really seem to care (and nor do you I’m sure!). Anyway The Hobbit was overbooked so the choice was Frozen or The Secret Life of Walter Mitty and as my friend had not seen this film, I found myself watching it again.
This film is about a man, Walter Mitty, who works for LIFE magazine just as the magazine is acquired and downsized to an online publication. LIFE magazine can be found online nowadays as a blog on the TIME magazine website but it actually stopped publishing in 1972, so this film is completely fictional in a way but still very apt for the times none the less. You may have already seen the over-long trailer for this film where you seem to get the whole film condensed into 5 minutes. I thought the film looked good from the trailer but I was concerned not only that the best bits were being shown but maybe any of the bits worth watching were as well. I’m pleased to say that I perhaps wasn’t wrong but I wasn’t completely right either. It’s not necessarily that you don’t see all the best bits in the trailer but more that when you see them in the full context of the storyline that the scenes become better and seem to mean more. The trailer doesn’t spoil the film, although I would have perhaps enjoyed the film even more if I had not seen the trailer so many times before.
The Secret Life of Walter Mitty comes across as a preachy live your life to the fullest sort of film on paper but when you’re watching the film it doesn’t really seem to be the case. The film is beautifully shot, making the most of the breathtaking locations that feature in the film and the live action sequences that mostly take the form of Walter’s fantastical daydreams. The score is good too, really evoking at times, my favourite scene being the jump into the helicopter and the music really makes that moment. In the past I’ve not necessarily been a big fan of Ben Stiller’s work; I don’t find his films offensive but they’re just not my thing. I thought in his film though he played this role perfectly, although I think the make up and costume departments are owed some credit for his transformation from mouse to man in the film.
I found the film as a whole felt real: the characters and their journeys together, even though the events of the film weren’t necessarily everyday occurrences. The film was so moving yet so humble at the same time, I think that’s why it felt inspiring without feeling like it was trying to ram a message down your throat. It’s like the saying goes: I can only show you the path, to follow it is up to you. This film seems to embody that message not only for Walter Mitty but also for the viewers as well. Don’t get me wrong though, it’s not exactly a philosophical film; it’s very entertaining, heart-warming and the perfect film to see in the New Year.
My rating: 4.5/5
A comment from my friends:
Sarah: Even though some bits were cheesy I really did enjoy it, a lovely feel-good film, 5 stars
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