IHAO on ... Butter

This movie has a charm to it that I don’t believe it deserves.  There are a lot of layers to this movie that I believe are trying to be something great and really aren’t.  Like constant prayer sequences or sex commentary and right-wing commentary and a lot of half-baked ideas that I don’t feel are completely realized.  Which is too bad.  Those things get in the way of what was an interesting movie.

It should come as no surprise that the sequences that were actually about the butter carving were the most entertaining and interesting.  The second act sequence with the four ladies competing for different reasons to win this butter carving competition was wonderful to watch.  Beyond that, there was a lot of “quirk” throughout the film between the butter sequences that just fell flat for me.

I need to praise a lot of the actors, though.  Rob Corddry, Alicia Silverstone, Olivia Wilde, and Yara Shahidi were all just great, really really great.  I didn’t care about Jennifer Garner or Ty Burrell, which did make their sections of the plot hard to sit through.  They are written fine, but I just do not gravitate well to dysfunctional cheating husbands and wives who get no comeuppance.  My fault I guess.

In the end, this movie was way better than expected, but it was uneven because I couldn’t get into half of the film’s characters and plots.  I loved the other half, and the second act was super strong.  Other than that, I am fine that I have seen it and don’t really plan to see it again.  People that can get behind the main marital plot will probably really get into this flick, though.

Grade: B-