I sogni segreti di Walter Mitty

"The Secret Life of Walter Mitty" is a short story written by James Thurber way back in 1939. It was about a henpecked man who escapes into a fantasy world of danger and heroics to compensate for the depressingly dull real life he leads.

Screen writer Steve Conrad adapts the title and the name and over-active imagination of the main character and tells his own original story. Ben Stiller directs and stars in this obvious "labour of love" of a movie project.

Walter Mitty is a timid guy who tends to "space out" and enter into a world of his own where he is able to do wondrously heroic exploits. He would rather join an online dating service than to meet this girl Cheryl at work that he fancies.

One day, he misplaced the precious negative of the photograph meant to be the cover of the last issue of Life Magazine. As his job is on the line, Walter needs to look for Sean, the globe-trotter photographer who took that missing photo. Upon deducing that Sean was in Greenland, Mitty suddenly decides to throw all caution to the wind and just go on a difficult quest, which will be the biggest adventure of his lifetime.

Visually, this film is perfect with its breathtaking cinematography and unobtrusive special effects. Many scenes, particularly those showing Walter skateboarding in Iceland, or climbing the Himalayas, were very memorably shot with unique camera range and angles.

The script does fall into melodrama, but I did not mind this. Ben Stiller was very good as Walter, capturing his shyness and cluelessness so sensitively. I liked Walter's moments with his mother, played by Shirley McLaine in a subdued likable manner. I also liked Walter's awkward romance with Cheryl played by Kristen Wiig, in only the second role I have seen her since "Bridesmaids." She was also very relaxed and natural here in a straight role. Too bad we do not see the full strength of her comic skills.

I cannot deny that I was disappointed with how the story went. Once we reach the second half of the film when Walter actually stops having fantasies and does things for real already. I know of course that this was the point of the film, that dreams were there to be fulfilled. I just felt it somehow lost the spirit of the source short story.

Overall though, this was an entertaining feel-good film that will bring us to places we rarely see on screen. The spectacular photography of the exotic settings demand that you see this film on the big screen.

Despite lofty comparisons with Forrest Gump, Walter Mitty admittedly does not exactly reach those heights. However, upon watching this film, you will wonder how something so beautiful-looking could have been totally shut-out from Oscar or any other award consideration.

'Tropic Thunder', 'The Cable Guy', 'Zoolander'... Ben Stiller has created some entertaining comedies, but 'Walter Mitty' is by far his most audacious piece of direction so far. The story is solid and the cinematography is stunning, Stiller has created an utterly mesmerising spectacle that follows the same basis of the 1947 classic starring Danny Kaye. Whilst I found the majority of the film charming and entertaining, it's the beautiful cinematography from Stuart Dryburgh that really sells this flick, and in my opinion should have been worthy of an Oscar- nomination at the least. One of the most entertaining comedy-dramas I have seen in recent years, a film that Stiller should be proud of.

It might be difficult for choosy audiences with cynical dispositions, but if we can look past the pesky product placement in "The Secret Life Of Walter Mitty", we're left with one very, very good film. Ben Stiller, who usually seems to have little clue how to use his specific talents, gives his best performance to date in front of and behind the camera. This is a film that may not resemble the source material verbatim, but the spirit is clearly alive, with a few touches to modernize the idea. As a whole, it's a sweet, confident, and poignant film that has a lot to say, but I think it speaks only to those willing to listen.

Walter Mitty (Stiller) is a negative asset manager for Life magazine- basically, his is the department responsible for bringing in and processing the film from the field that will go into the magazine (and by his 'department', I mean Walter and his assistant (Martinez) ). In essence, in the time Walter has worked at the publication, the very soul of the magazine has been processed on his watch. It's prescient, that his seemingly simple position holds so much sway, but we'll return to that idea.

His problem, it seems, is that he daydreams. Mind you, this isn't the type of absent-mindedness that you or I take part in. Walter misses large chunks of actual time in his fantasy land, jolted back to reality by silence, love interests, or transition managers. In his escapes, Walter is well-traveled and mysterious, interesting and not invisible to others. He's confident and allowed to pursue that which he wants. In other words, he's the full version of himself. I like how this film pulls back the comedic reigns here- Stiller too often becomes, well, Stiller, and overdoses on the comedy. Here, the humor is subtle and fits the tone of the film. It also doesn't pander, or make us feel sorry for Walter. There's a very good reason his life is the way it is, and again, it's presented without pretense.

I mentioned a transition manager, profiled in full douchebag by Adam Scott. Well, the print version of Life is going under in this film, and switching to an online format. Positions like Walter's are likely to be eliminated, as well as accounting spots like the one Cheryl (Wiig) holds down. However, before the end, they want to send up one last issue, and long-time contributor Sean O'Connell (Penn), who has sent a roll of film containing an image he specifically wants to become the last cover. The problem is that Walter has either misplaced it, or it was lost along the way. This causes him to seek it out, thus finally spurring him to make his fantasies become, well, realities.

I think a good portion of society can identify with an individual that finally lets loose a bit, that allows himself, finally, the adventure he deserves. A lesser film would make these emotional breakthroughs farcical, ala "Last Holiday", but this is subtle and decent. That's why the big reveal of what that last cover image is a fantastic moment. I believed in this Walter Mitty as a hard- working guy who missed out on life thus far due to some bad luck. It was wonderfully refreshing to see a character, despite his quirks, find happiness in the midst of just being, well, a good guy.

I caution those looking simply for a pandering, feel-good story around the holidays. That's not what this is. Instead, Stiller and crew have taken the spirit of the source material and adapted it to our world. Granted, there are a few goofs- for example, Walter seems keen on good rock music and skateboard culture, but he isn't aware of a popular David Bowie song? Also, how does one get a clementine cake, sweet as it may be, through customs? Those things don't doom the film, but I do feel it's another reason this will divide people- those that claim this has nothing to offer but cynical product placement messages, and those like myself that sense a broader theme of becoming who we want to be, and understanding where we lose our way. That's a powerful thought, and this quietly beautiful film has the sense to not beat us over the head with it. After all, the film does tell us that "beautiful things don't ask for attention". That's certainly a statement that a number of filmmakers could stand to hear more often.

Ben Stiller is Walter Mitty, a man who looks as if he does nothing, is nothing and is perceived as nothing. Except for during his little fantasies in which he is a hero, but during these weirds moments in which he dozes off, others write him off.

Until he finds a goal in life, which puts in him adventurous situations by accident, which transform him in the man he always was. A unique individual, an adventurer, a dreamer who fulfills his dreams and finds the appreciation he needs and deserves. But the appreciation doesn't come from other, but from himself.

What the movie does brilliantly, is make the watcher feel connected to Walter Mitty and feels with him. You'll find him goofy, but likable. Your respect for him will grow with every minute, and at the end of the movie, you'll love him. Maybe you even recognize your own milestone moments, mountains you have climbed, seas you have sailed, so we all are bigger than we are perceived, as long as you have that respect and confidence from within.

Props to Ben Stiller. Jim Carrey had his Truman Show, Will Ferrel had his Stranger Than Fiction. Ben Stiller's Walter Mitty should be in that group.

One really has to wonder what the professional reviewers are really thinking. We looked over the family movie list and barely decided to go to this one based on lackluster reviews. Six out of six of us REALLY liked it and found it deep and entertaining, and easy to watch. By all means, if you are looking to enjoy a movie, go see this one.

If you are looking for a connection to the original story, the connection happens during the first 45 minutes and then seems to go in its own direction. Big deal. The movie moves through characters development, plot lines, and geographies smoothly, and does not reveal its final hand until the end.