Stranger Than Fiction is a wonderful, whimsical, surprisingly romantic tale that delves into the mind of a novelist and the soul of her latest book's main character. There are many things to admire about this charming movie, but perhaps the biggest surprise surrounding it is the involvement of a perfectly subdued Will Ferrell. It may sound pretentious to say so, but this is his Truman Show. And in fact, Ferrell's work in Stranger Than Fiction is even stronger than Jim Carrey's in Peter Weir's glimpse into reality TV culture.

In Stranger Than Fiction, Will Ferrell is the hapless Harold Crick, a lonely IRS man whose life is stuck in a "by the numbers" rut. One morning, he wakes up to go about his daily routine when he is somewhat startled by a strange voice he believes to be emanating from his tooth brush. At first, he shrugs the voice off but soon, it becomes too much to ignore. What does the voice say? Well, it appears to be providing a sort of narration for Crick's dull, uneventful life, but it does so with the utmost precision. Worried by the voice, Crick sets out to find help. This little journey leads him to an eccentric literary scholar (played by a hilarious Dustin Hoffman).

Then, the film switches gears and introduces us to "the voice". It turns out "the voice" belongs to Karen Effiel (played by a winning Emma Thompson), a celebrated novelist whom, while suffering from a severe case of writer's block, is desperately trying to finish her latest novel. What she doesn't realize is that her latest character creation isn't a character creation at all. It's a real man by the name of Harold Crick.

By way of some bizarre, unexplained cosmic anomaly, Crick is able to sense Effiel's presence (by means of the aforementioned narration). In fear that Effiel might do something inadvertently drastic (to his "character"), he sets out to find her and prove that he is in fact a real man and not some capricious figment to be manipulated at a whim.

Amongst all this chaos, Crick finds time for a little romance when he falls for baker Ana Pascal (a wonderful Maggie Gyllenhaal.) when he is assigned the daunting task of auditing the abrasive, but ultimately sweet-natured woman's bakery.

Stranger Than Fiction will, no doubt, draw comparisons to Adaptation with it's literary themes and it's fascinating exploration into writer's block, but whereas Charlie Kaufman's innovative screenplay for that flick was hellbent on swimming in a sea of relentless eccentricities (that's not a stab –I loved Adaptation), this movie is decidedly more accessible. This isn't to say that this picture isn't eccentric – it certainly is, but ultimately, Stranger Than Fiction will most likely have an easier time playing to the masses because it's lighter and sweeter in tone.

Will Ferrell is really terrific here as the lonely IRS man. For those of you who can't warm up to his lovable man-child schtick (personally, I'm a fan), this may prove to be right up your alley. As Jim Carrey did in The Truman Show and Adam Sandler did in Punch Drunk Love, Ferrell is able to walk that line between comedy and drama effortlessly. While he is extremely funny in Stranger Than Fiction, it's a subtle, low key kind of funny. By the end of the picture, you'll even buy into the notion that Ferrell could attract someone as hot as Maggie Gyllenhaal. Watch for a moving little scene in which Crick wins over his lady fair with a serenade on acoustic guitar. It's simply sweet and charming.

While we're on the topic of Maggie Gyllenhaal, what a tremendous year she's had. With diverse (and effective) turns in World Trade Center, Monster House, and Sherrybaby, Gyllenhaal caps off a banner 2006 with this lovely, surprisingly complex performance. Seriously, if you haven't fallen for Maggie Gyllenhaal already, you will after seeing her in this.

Emma Thompson is fantastic as the neurotic Karen Effiel. While at a glance, Stranger Than Fiction appears to be a story about Harold Crick, it's just as much about Karen. As Crick goes through a sort of life altering metamorphosis, so does Effiel. In a sense, these two characters help each other grow and that's the focal point of the movie.

Dustin Hoffman is a riot as literary Professor Jules Hilbert, a scholar who attempts to help Crick with his bizarre set of circumstances. His dry line delivery proves a perfect match for Ferrell's drollery. The two play off each other beautifully. And in fact, their final scene together in this film is sublime. Watch as Hilbert tries to persuade Crick to succumb to the unthinkable. It's a priceless scene managing to be both devastating and hilarious at the same time.

Rounding out a first rate cast are Queen Latifah who, I must confess, feels a little underwritten as a professional brought in to help get Effiel back on track with her writing, and a virtually missing in action Tom Hulce (Amadeus, Parenthood) as a nutty doctor who tries to help Crick with his unusual condition. What happened to this guy? He's been gone far too long. While he appears in a mere bit part here, it was great to see him in a movie again.

Director Marc Forster has emerged as an incredibly diverse film maker. It's hard to believe that the same director was responsible for Monster's Ball, Finding Neverland, and now, Stranger Than Fiction. Forster doesn't appear to have a distinct style, but he is an expert storyteller. This is an extremely imaginative piece of work that remains grounded in reality even though at it's heart, it plays as fantasy.

The screenplay by Zach Helm is witty and charming. It's also uber-literary in it's approach. It is, after all, about a writer and her character. Yes, Stranger Than Fiction tends to be gimmicky but the film as a whole works - right down to the ending (don't worry – I won't spoil anything). I've always maintained that I'm cool with a sad ending or a happy ending just as long as it's the fair (and appropriate) ending for the story. Case in point, look at a movie like The Shawshank Redemption. That image of Morgan Freeman and Tim Robbins embracing on a beach is pure magic and absolutely perfect. Or how about the nauseating final reel of Seven in which...I can't even bring myself to go into it. It's just too upsetting. Still, that was the right ending for that movie. If anything else would have been in that box, it would have destroyed the tone of the picture. On the flip side of the coin, look at a movie like Pay it Forward. What becomes of Haley Joel Osment at the end of that movie is a complete betrayal of what that movie stands for, and what's more, it simply plays as forced, sappy manipulation. Stranger Than Fiction is interesting because it's ending is actually acknowledged. It has a distinct purpose. It's an organic part of the plot and is important because it's a further representation of character growth.

I really adore this movie. It's warm, light and incredibly endearing. Furthermore, it finds a sense of hope in a cynical world. From the performances, to the direction, to the writing, to Brit Daniel's (front man for the amazing indie rock band Spoon) catchy score and tunes, Stranger Than Fiction won me over from start to finish. Expect to see this gem on my best of list at the end of the year.