Mr. Church, Hologram for the King

VIDEO GUY Reviews 2 obscure films featuring well-known leads: 1)"Hologram for the King" (Tom Hanks) - I love this guy, but please avoid this film at all costs! If you stumble on it at Netflix, stumble right on past it. Not worth a minute of your time. Instead, try 2) "Mr. Church (Eddie Murphy) - In perhaps his most understated and, dare I say tender, roles, Eddie Murphy makes us wonder why he never got more dramatic roles. He's terrific throughout. This is a sweet little film (available from Netflix), narrated by a young girl (Britt Robertson) who is pretty much the real focus of the film. The girl's mother (Natasche McElhone - a face you've seen many times with a name that's hard to remember) is dying from breast cancer (that's not a spoiler). Her married ex-lover arranges for Eddie Murphy's Mr. Church to cook for her and her daughter for the 6 months she's expected to live. At first, of course, the girl rejects him, only to draw closer and closer to him as she ages. This is a bit of a tear jerker at times, but I didn't find it to be emotionally manipulative, just heart-tuggy. Recommended!