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.

Cowboys and Aliens

Saturday night at the movies and tonight we went to the cheap seats to see this movie. I thought that the previews looked good this spring when we were at another movie but as often happens when it came to the theatre we did not get there.

The reviews I had read on arrival had been that it was not that good. After seeing this tonight I would have to differ. The movie is campy and silly. Anything involving Cowboys, Indians and Aliens would have to be a bit over the top.

Still the story reminds me of something one might have seen in an afternoon show at the movies on a Saturday in the fifties. The special effects now are much better but the story of the stranger armed with a special bracelet, aliens that are using people to expirment on and the fact that in the end all the humans be they ranchers, robbers or Apaches have to band together to defeat the Indians works.

It is a strong cast with Harrison Ford as the grizzled rancher ( with some affecting scenes with his adopted Mexican son) and Daniel Craig as the stranger with no memory. Olivia Wilde adds some sex appeal and does it well and for some reason at least for me this was an enjoyable movie.

One of those movies that is better than the sum of its parts if you accept it for what it is. I liked it very much.