Knight at HOME at the Movies
Indie Comedies

Four great little comedies - from dark to light (and back again) in this edition of DVD Recommendations.  All, naturally, are worth
checking out IMMEDIATELY!
Then She Found Me – From ThinkFilm.  I thought that this low key relationship comedy, the debut directorial effort from Helen
Hunt
was worth hanging in there for.  Hunt's movie starts slow and stays slow for quite a while but that makes its pay off that much
more enlivening.  Hunt stars as a woman whose life is falling apart just as she's desperate to have a baby.  At this point her birth
mother, played by Bette Midler, suddenly re-enters her life as does Colin Firth as a new, but complicating love interest.  Matthew
Broderick as Hunt's ex-husband provides expert support and Midler, dialing down her superstar wattage, is warm and compelling.  
This is a very satisfying relationship picture.  No extras.


Miss Pettigrew Lives For A Day – From Universal Studios.  The charms to be found in this 30s era vintage comedy are many.  
Frances McDormand plays the title character, the cranky Miss P. whose life is forever changed when she comes under the spell of a
comely blonde actress, the truly enchanting Amy Adams, and a trio of her suitors (with dreamy Lee Pace my personal fave).  As I
said in my review, this is the kind of souffle that Cole Porter and Noel Coward would've cooked up.  Though there's not a gay
character in sight, to suggest that this little comedic trifle has a gay sensibility would not be overstating it and the film is witty and
sophisticated to the max.  The disc includes both full frame and widescreen versions on reverse sides, a director's commentary, a 20
minute making of featurette, a nice history of the book and film (this was originally intended as a vehicle for Billie Burke back in the
early 40s!) and some nifty deleted scenes that flesh out some backstory on McDormand's character.  All nice additions to a zippy
title.


Married Life – From Sony Pictures.  There is much to like in out director Ira Sachs' black comedy of manners about murder, a cool
homage to Hitchock's
Trouble With Harry and the movie, with its endless politeness and fealty to the early 50s period it seamlessly
recreates, works much better in this home edition on the small screen.  First off, Patricia Clarkson has become a complete reason to
see ANY movie she's in and Chris Cooper, Pierce Brosnan and Rachel McAdams help round out this interesting little indie.  This group
enacts a drawing room piece that focuses on affairs of the heart and murder that is as dry as the driest martini.  Sachs adds a
commentary track to the DVD and three alternate endings are also included.


Never Say Macbeth – From Vanguard Cinema.  This low budget comedy follows the backstage hi-jinks that occur during a
production of The Scottish Play in which a young science teacher unwittingly releases a coven of ghosts during an unexpected
audition for the play.  Then it's the ghosts versus the cast members as the film progresses.  Former Chicagoan Joe Gold wrote and
stars in this not bad little comedy that is long on theatrical tradition and stereotypical characters (including a few gay ones).  Not
surprisingly, the material would lend itself very well to a stage adaptation (so would
Miss Pettigrew).  The DVD is being released to
cash in on the theatrical release of
Hamlet 2.