The Best Movies You Probably Haven't Seen

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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