THE SECRET LIFE OF WALTER MITTY

This is an epic adventure, both into the mind of an intrepid daydreamer, and in the physical sense - we travel to Greenland, Iceland and Afghanistan with Walter as he searches for the photograph and, in turn, himself.

The film is loosely based on a short story written by James Thurbur way back in 1939, but what Stiller and writer Steve Conrad have accomplished here is quite phenomenal. They bring the character into the 21st century, where companies are under pressure to adapt or die, people prioritise work over life, and traversing the globe is a pipe dream for many. Walter Mitty is, in many ways, an incarnation of Thurbur himself, with his off-beat imagination, but also the über-embodiment of every middle-class worker today.

Stiller and cinematographer Stuart Dryburgh have created a beautiful masterpiece to watch. Walter's daydreams are incorporated seamlessly into his everyday life, and the film's initial geometric and sterile shots throughout the TIME building juxtapose wonderfully with the hand-held and sweeping helicopter shots as Walter travels the world.

This film is a poignantly (as opposed to laugh-out-loud) funny affair, largely thanks to Stiller's straight performance as Mitty; there's not a hint of 'Zoolander' to be seen. Patton Oswalt ('United States of Tara') as the eHarmony help desk employee and Ólafur Darri Ólafsson as the intoxicated helicopter pilot are utterly brilliant, and Kristen Wiig is surprisingly sincere in a relatively dramatic role as Walter's love interest, and perhaps underutilised. Shirley MacLaine also has a small role as Walter's mother, bringing to life the kind of mum everyone dreams of having.

It's also worth noting the brilliant soundtrack that accompanies 'Walter Mitty' - there are some truly grandiose tunes from José González and Of Monsters And Men, which play spine-tingingly beneath some of the film's most crucial scenes. There's also some fantastic covers, including one from Jack Johnson, and Kristen Wiig even provides a karaoke track (or duet, you decide) of David Bowie's 'Space Oddity'. Just like the film itself, it's an eccentric yet thoroughly enjoyable offering.

If you've ever wanted to be someone else, this film is for you. If you've ever wanted to throw it all in and run away, this film is for you. If you've ever fantasised about being something more than you are, then this film is for you.