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but intrigued all the less because of something Harold mumbles in his bizarre defense.

Gradually seduced into the tax mans plight, Hilbert sets out to decipher who the voice might be, her English ascent and excellent prose suggesting a renowned and local writer, reclusive Kay Eiffel (Emma Thompson) quickly at the top of the list, she oblivious to Harold's plight and existence, but, somewhat bizarrely, Crick her principal character in her latest novel, her grand opus that's ticking into its tenth year, the publishers leaning on her for results through a pushy secretary from the publishers in the sassy form of Penny (Queen Latifah). But how can a character in her book be alive and kicking? And with Kay's reputation for killing off her hero's it looks grim for the taxman, and all this after just meeting sexy cookie shop owner Anna Pascal (Maggie Gyllenhaal), who he is auditing her books for deliberate tax evasion, and could well be the girl of his dreams and something solid to live for

-The Actors-

Will Ferrell? Well you either get him or you don't, as simple as. I personally think he's funny, playing that deadpan type role, something that stands out in his predictable US comedy movies. He is superb at just that in Anchorman: The Legend of Ron Burgandy'.
Ferrell is another one of those jobbing actors that has slowly built up his career, presumably another comedienne that cut his comic teeth on Saturday Night Live, and started to get chunky roles of late. He's been at this game for ten years now and moving into that Chevy Chase role where you get movies for just being Chevy Chase.

Emma Thompson and Dustin Hoffman, on the other hand, are in reverse gear, Hoffman falling into that classy actor category that Francis Ford-Coppola was having a dig at last week. Guys like DeNiro and Pacino who have huge acting kudos behind them but have left it there, preferring to take the money in mainstream comedies and dramas, DeNiro particularly guilty of. There is a solid rumor that some 14 years after the over rated HEAT', Al and Booby will be teaming up again next year in a detective thriller.

Hoffman, with all manner of awards in his dressing room, has been very lazy on film, preferring to take lots of cameos in ok movies. This is one of very few movie roles for him since 2000. It's a shame really as his cheeky chappy performances can light up average films, as he did in the dire Meet the Fokker's'.

Emma Thompson (very much a lesbian icon by all accounts, even though she is not) hasn't

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