Mark Ruffalo makes an impressive debut as a director in the very original and fantastical parable Sympathy for Delicious. Working off of a fearless if slightly messy script by his longtime friend Christopher Thornton (who also stars), Ruffalo has crafted a movie I’m frankly shocked was able to be made. It’s tackling a lot of different things all at once, while never staking claim to any one corner that would make it an easier sell (though not as high quality a film). Any flick involving religion walks a dangerous path, but Ruffalo and Thornton manage to turn out a work that will have appeal to believers and non-believers alike (as one of the latter, it was especially noteworthy for me, as religious preaching is the easiest way to turn me off). Though it may be a little rough around the edges at times, this is still a strangely beautiful work, and one of the better movies of 2011 and announces Ruffalo as the latest actor with a solid career behind the camera to look forward to in the future. Read more on Sympathy for Delicious (***½)…












