Tuesday, October 19, 2010

The Best Movies You Probably Haven't Seen



Now Showing:
Pretty Bird
Pretty Bird (2008)

Directed By: 
Paul Schneider 


Written By: 
Zene Baker, Paul Schneider

Starring:
Billy Crudup (Watchmen, Almost Famous), Paul Giamatti (Cold Souls, Sideways), David Hornsby (It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia), Kristen Wiig (Despicable Me, MacGruber)

The Gist:
Curtis Prentiss (Crudup) is a slick entrepreneur who hatches a new money making scheme. Along with his old friend (Hornsby), who Curtis convinces to fund the venture, the two hire a rocket scientist to build a rocket belt from a set of blue prints Curtis somehow has acquired.

Why You Should Watch It:
It's a funny and very odd film. Giamatti as the grouchy scientist who has been screwed over too many times, delivers another great character performance. As does Billy Crudup who has a knack for for these kind of offbeat roles.

Why You Probably Haven't Seen It:
It's a quiet little film that seems to have made little splash. It quickly found it's way into the dollar movie section. And it can be hard for quirky movies like this to find their audience.

Scene To Savor:
When Paul Giamatti accidentally shoots his wife. It's worth the price of the rental just to hear him deliver the line, "Are you shot dear?"

Comments:
Few movies are perfect and this is no exception. The characters are somewhat standoffish at first until you get used to the tone of the movie. It's a little off balance in some places. While it is over the top in some ways, it's also very subtle in others which at times can create an uneven tempo. And while it may have been funny in its own regard, I don't ever need to see Paul Giamatti in a sex scene. Ever.

Overall on a scale of missed gems: 3.5 out of 5

10 comments:

  1. For some reason I do remember hearing about it when it came out.

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  2. I'm pretty sure I've heard of it, but never actually saw it in a theater or on DVD. Maybe I'll take a look see!
    thanks for the review, Tim...

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  3. Again, thanks for wading through the dollar movies to find the gems for us.

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  4. Here you go again. You are batting a thousand when it comes to chosing movies I have not even heard of and I hear of everything. I like Paul G in anything so I will have to search for this one. Do you ever just watch something mainstream or are these lost films becoming your niche.

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  5. Pat, if you like quirky films, you should enjoy it.

    Camel, Glad to be of service. haha

    Kal, I do watch mainstream movies. They just tend to get so much press as it is that I feel the forgotten films should get a little love. I know you've done the same on your site too.

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  6. Haven't seen it myself, but I should seeing how I'm a film fan.
    It's on my list!

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  7. Not sure I've ever heard of this one, either...but if I see it in the bargain bin, I might just get it!

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  8. Hey! Got a link up to your site for my non-review of CassaStar today. Thanks again!

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  9. holy shit! how am i not aware of this movie?! i'm totally adding it to my queue right now!
    ::sigh:: i want to buy paul giamatti a beer. or three.

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  10. Helpful blog, bookmarked the website with hopes to read more!

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