THE SECRET LIFE OF WALTER MITTY
Director : Ben Stiller
Year : 2013
Genre : Adventure Comedy
Rating : ***
First told of in his book 'My World & Welcome To It', James Thurbers classic short story 'The Secret Life Of Walter Mitty' is one of the most anthologised and beloved tales in the history of American literature. Telling the story of a humble man who daydreams into fantastical and heroic scenarios to escape his mundane and boringly conventional life, 'The Secret Life Of Walter Mitty' was a massive cultural success upon it's release and as result, it has since inspired a number of adaptations on both the stage and the screen.
Despite it's cultural success, the ideas and themes of 'Walter Mitty' have since evaporated from the public consciousness so comedian, writer and director Ben Stiller has now taken it upon himself to remake Thurbers classic tale and unlike many recent reboots and retreads, 'The Secret Life Of Walter Mitty' is actually a fairly well judged and thought provoking picture with a number of great set pieces, beautiful cinematography courtesy of the glorious island of Iceland and an unusually controlled and centred performance from Stiller. Telling the story of a lonely but resilient daydreamer who embarks on a life changing and eye opening adventure when his job as negative manager at a New York magazine company is threatened, Stiller changes the source narrative enough to be current and relatable for a modern audience without ever losing the timeless essence and ideology of Thurber's original writing and because of this 'The Secret Life Of Walter Mitty' turns out to be one of the more relaxed and sincere films in the director and actors very erratic and hugely divisive filmography. Yes, it could probably do with a few more laughs but what it lacks in comedy, it gains in heart and if it wasn't for a few moments of overly simplistic drama, the film would actually be a very enjoyable, if not entirely memorable experience.
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