The Secret Life of Walter Mitty Review

     Ben Stiller's most recent directorial debut is The Secret Life of Walter Mitty. A movie I would like to call the biggest surprise of the year. A pleasant, sweet surprise. I was really looking forward to this film, but it far exceeded my expectations. 

     Stiller also starts in the film as the title character Walter Mitty. A day dreamer who often escapes reality. He feels like he has done nothing "Noteworthy or Mentionable." When he realizes that, it comes up at a time where his job at Time magazine is at jeopardy. He decides to go out into the real world and embark on an adventure to defy who Walter Mitty really is. 

     Stiller was able to create a character that was fun, loveable, and able to skateboard away from an exploding volcano. As ridiculous as that might sound, it worked. This film felt a lot like Forrest Gump in the sense that the story is so creative and never takes a break. The scenes are so diverse and distinct from each other, but at the same time they are related with each other. Which makes it be able to avoid plot holes. Pretend the whole movie/story is one whole puzzle. Each individual scene is a piece of that puzzle. They fit together perfectly with no space in between. 

     This movie is also like Forrest Gump in the way that there are so many characters that are critical to the story and the actors/actresses that portray them don't seem like they were last minute casting decisions. It actually looked like they put time and effort in to casting each and every person to make it a phenomenal ensemble cast. One of the best if not the best all year. Lets now praise the incredible acting of Kristen Wiig. Is it an Oscar worth performance? Of course not. The little parts she was in brought a whole different tone into it. She made the character have so much depth. I can say the same about Stiller's portrayal of Walter. Maybe it helps that he was also the director. Stiller always puts 100% of his effort into his characters. There is something new Ben brings to the table in this film. I don't know what it is, but he does.  This has been a passion project for Stiller for at least 8 years. And he did everything but disappoint.   

     Lets talk about the minor things that people really should pay more attention to. The score and cinematography. The little things can do a lot for you. Those things completely immerse you and make your moving going experience ten times better with out you even knowing it. The camera shots play perfectly to where this movie is partly filmed. Greenland and Iceland. I never thought I'd say this, but I want to go to Greenland and Iceland know. 

     This is my second favorite film of the year. It was a pleasant delight and I enjoyed every moment of it. I am really proud of giving this one a 9/10.