Maybe I'm a jaded moviegoer (or just getting more hardened with age) but I just don't find most comedies these days to be all that funny (though maybe the films themselves are just garbage). So far this year, the majority of comedies have been little more than an amusing diversion with no REAL laughs. It's a similar concern I've had with the horror genre of late; those movies really don't SCARE me like I wish they would. Thankfully, the comedy part of my brain got a big reprieve thanks to a deranged little film about the cutthroat world of BUTTER SCULPTING..... Seriously, stay with me on this one.
Butter sculpting CAN be sexy if you do it right.....
Butter is the story of an epic butter sculpting clash between lunatic trophy wife Laura Pickler (a terrifying hybrid of Jackie Kennedy and Sarah Palin played by Jennifer Garner), and Destiny, an artistically gifted 10 year old foster child. This battle somehow manages to turn an entire town upside down and drags the motliest of crews onto the battlefield: Pickler's spineless husband (Ty Burrell), a vengeful stripper (Olivia Wilde), Destiny's new foster parents (Rob Corddry and Alicia Silverstone), and a dimwitted car dealership owner/Laura's old high school sweetheart (Hugh Jackman). This movie foregoes the opening credits so that it can spring it's ensemble cast on you gradually; an unusual tactic that pays off in spades.
Hey kids, it's Hugh Jackman, how no one expected/wanted to see him.
The premise is quirky, the script is hilarious and the stakes are.... well, not exactly high which makes the insanity that much funnier. Despite these amazing traits, the most enjoyable thing about all this is seeing these actors play against type: Garner plays a genuinely scary bitch, Jackman plays a dirtbag idiot, and Wilde plays a stripper with absolutely no tact; but it's Corddry's role as a genuinely nice/supportive foster parent that was most surprising and refreshing. It's good to see that he can play outside of his usual crass asshole character, let alone do it so well. All these characters are used beautifully and play off each other very well.
The dynamic duo of a street smart 10 year old girl and a street smarter stripper.
Would someone get them away from those knives please!!!!
Butter has a lot of things going for it, not the least of which is the fact that it's currently streaming on Netflix. If you like your comedy dark, there is no reason why you shouldn't watch this!
I won't spoil it, but Garner's idea of appropriate sculpting is somewhat disturbing....
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