Butter

Butter was one of those movies that appeared to be going to be released in the theaters and on demand at the same time. My guess is that is a fancy way of saying straight to video but it looked interesting enough for us to give it a look on a recent Saturday night.

One thing is sure the premise of this movie is unique being that it centers on butter sculpturing and the people involved in. Yes that is right, butter.

Bob Pickler is a butter legend. Having won the sculpture contest for the last fifteen years Bob is asked to stand down and give someone else a chance. A little disappointed perhaps Bob ( played by Modern Family's Ty Burrell) accepts this decision graciously. His wife, played by Jennifer Garner, however is less than pleased. Feeling that her status is tied up in being the Butter Kong's wife she is distraught and eventually decides to enter the contest herself.

Bob might be gracious about the contest but Bob also has secrets. Bob out drowning his sorrows at the local strip club invites dancer Brooke into his van for some quality time. Brooke, played by Olivia Wilde, is more than accommodating for a price, they are interrupted however when Bob's wife Laura crashes her car into the van thus interrupting the moment.

Laura and Bob are certainly headed for trouble but nothing is easy for Bob when Brooke shows up the next day on his doorstep asking for the rest of her money for her accompaniment the previous night.

Laura is a shrew, she and Brooke become mortal enemies which causes Brooke to also join the butter contest. Also entering is a young orphan girl, Destiny, who has been adopted by a childless couple played, surprisingly effectively, by comedian Rob Corddry and Alica Silverstone.

This movie is not groundbreaking. It is however one of those movies that is perhaps better than the sum of it's parts and the unique storyline allows it to make some fairly mundane and standard plot points more interesting than they normally woul be. This movie works, the cast is strong, and is certainly worth a viewing.

Ty Burrell seems typecast as the idiot husband and perhaps he would wish for more but he is very effective in portraying that person with a little more depth than we are used to.

A good movie.

The Invention of Lying

We watched this movie Saturday evening. I did not have any interest in the movie at the beginning but my wife and her sister were planning to watch it, I, however, had my magazine ready. I am still not sure what I think of the movie, I did, however, watch the movie, the magazine went unread. The story tells of an alternate reality where no one has the ability to lie and what happens when one person figures out how to and its benefits.

The movie had some very funny moments, a quirky love story between a man who can fib and a woman who cannot but lost me with its diversion into a satire of religion. I know that this has a significant appeal and the questions the satire brings about are questions we all have at some times, however for me it was a little squirmy.

Ricky Gervais was better in the movie than I remembered in other roles and Jennifer Garner continues to be a " cute" actress. A host of strong cameos in the movie adds to it as well.

I did not read the magazine that night so the movie held my attention. I am not sure I am glad I did however.

Rating: 5