I’ve got two flicks to add to the pile this week… one aimed squarely at lesbian women and another aimed at anyone who’s ever lost a lover, subsequently found out the entire relationship was a lie and happens to have a hankering for Jennifer (Elektra, Sidney Bristow) Garner.

We’ll start with that movie first—Catch and Release , which unfortunately spent the better part of ’06 collecting dust on a shelf over at Sony while Jennifer took a much needed maternity leave.

Those of you looking for ass kicking Jen will have to wait for this Spring’s FBI drama The Kingdom, but those who got all mushy for Jen’s softer side will find plenty plenty to love in this tearjerker. Written by Susannah (28 Days, Erin Brockovich) Grant, Catch and Release follows Gray Wheeler (Garner), who spends her wedding day putting her fiance in the ground—how’s that for uplifting? He died on a fishing trip, and since Gray can’t really afford to live on her own, she packs up her shit and moves in with his two best friends (Kevin Smith, Sam Jaeger) and a hanger on from his high-school days (Timothy Olyphant) in an attempt to get to know him better in his death.

Catch and Release has it’s problems—Gray goes from loathing Olyphant to hopping in the sack with him in about two seconds flat and when Garner or Smith aren’t on screen, the movie trudges along at a snail’s pace. But Catch and Release says a lot about friendship, and it’s nice to see a romantic comedy that finally knows how to utilize the men in a way other than “predator” or “jerk.” Something tells me Catch and Release would have come off better if Grant had handed the reins over to a more experienced director and stuck to writing the script, which she does exceedingly well. Instead, we have a number of moments that never quite gel and a ton of dead air time better filled with plot advancements.

Still, as romantic dramedies go, this Catch ain’t half bad—and if you’re a fan of Garner, well, you know how she can turn emotions on a dime. Watch her do it a breakneck speed here.

Now one especially for the ladies—ladies who like ladies, I guess I should say: Puccini for Beginners.

Walked out on because of her inability to say “I love you” to her girlfriend--who winds up going back to her ex-boyfriend—Allegra (Elizabeth Reaser) meets Philip (Justin Kirk). Attracted to him, although it’s against her better reasoning, she begins an affair unaware of his 6-year relationship with Grace (Gretchen Mol). Grace is stunned when Phillip announces their relationship is over and coincidentally meets Allegra whom she starts dating as well. Neither Grace nor Philip are the least bit aware that the other is involved with Allegra and Allegra is just as clueless that Grace and Phillip are the exes she is helping each get over. With both relationships speeding right along, Allegra’s situation heats up way too quickly and can only lead to an intensely volatile but liberating pinnacle for everyone involved.

Reinventing the romantic comedy in a completely refreshing manner, Maria Maggenti combines a fresh approach to lesbian filmmaking with her fear-of-commitment story, leaving behind the typical framework. She follows no standard formula in her story of sexuality—she even mocks it, along with politics—while simultaneously debating the topics. This mix of mocking and debate is what allows her to avoid falling into the cliché definitions and portrayals normally seen in genre films. Maggenti’s creative talent doesn’t stop here. She toys with the concept behind love triangles, which are normally so predictable and almost boring, yet Maggenti’s crazy ménage proves to be entirely the opposite. The actors’ charisma and enchanting connections to one another are mesmerizing.

Set in New York, the small cafes, movie theaters, art galleries and rows of apartments create a perfectly intimate backdrop for artful and witty exchanges and chance encounters both snappy and charming. It’s artsy New York life at its finest. The ever-present possibility of changing destiny is skillfully worked into the film, bringing a higher notion of reality (even in an eccentric sex comedy).

The leading lesbian, Allegra, is an interesting creation. She makes it perfectly clear every few minutes that she is a lesbian and not interested in men at all but at the same time, she is completely unobtrusive about it. She is attractive on her own—both men and women see it but she has that generic anti-commitment thing going on, which somehow lands her at the top of a love triangle with two straight people (a man and a woman) who are just head-over-heels for her.

The fact that Allegra gets herself into this twisted situation so quickly is what gives her that ‘screwability’ factor so hard to create in the way that Allegra naturally possesses it. Reaser couldn’t be a more perfect fit for the role and she does a stunning job at being so overly confused and confusing at the same time.

Until next time!