Reel Critics:

Robert D. Siegel wrote the screenplay for last year’s dark horse hit “The Wrestler.” He now turns his spotlight on another fringe aspect of the sports world. As writer and director, he focuses on a blue-collar “Big Fan” whose whole life revolves around the fortunes of the football team he loves.

Comedian Patton Oswalt is perfectly cast as a middle-aged loser who still lives with his mother on Staten Island. He is pudgy, socially inept and works collecting tolls in a New York City parking garage. The highlight of his week is calling into a late-night sports radio show to worship the New York Giants.

One night, he spots the star player for the Giants at a gas station. He follows his hero into a strip joint in Manhattan hoping for a handshake and autograph. His escapade lands him in a hospital beaten to a pulp with some new life decisions to make. From this premise come unusual developments.

Many quirks of human nature are exposed as our fanatic follows his misplaced loyalty into new territory. Alternately funny and sad, it’s a poignant look at a lovable loser who finds bravado but has no meaningful plan for his life. This is a well-made indie flick for big fans of small movies.

Perry’s latest not so ‘Bad’ at box office; ‘Rice’ a charming comedy

Tyler Perry’s latest box-office smash, “I Can Do Bad All By Myself,” surely has the best title of the year. It follows his successful, if formulaic plot line: a beautiful, troubled woman (Oscar nominee Taraji P. Henson) finds the path of righteousness and inner strength thanks to the power of prayer, family and a hunky new man. Oh yes, there’s also a feisty 6-foot-5 matriarch named Madea . . .

“Bad” has genuinely moving performances and a joyfulness of spirit. The powerhouse musical numbers from Henson, Gladys Knight, Mary J. Blige (singing the blistering title song) and Marvin Winans should be reason enough to enjoy this movie.

Another noteworthy film out this week is the indie “White on Rice,” a charmingly off-kilter comedy from Dave Boyle about a 40-year-old divorcee with a bad case of arrested development who tries to find love again in all the wrong places.

Think of it as a Judd Apatow comedy with an Asian American cast and much less vulgarity.

Jimmy (Hiroshi Watanabe) plays with dinosaurs and sleeps in a bunk bed over his Uncle Bob (newcomer Justin Kwong), who at age 10 is more savvy about women than Jimmy will ever be.

Watanabe, who memorably starred in “Letters from Iwo Jima,” is adept at connecting with his inner geek in ways both hilarious and literally painful.

JOHN DEPKO is a Costa Mesa resident and a senior investigator for the Orange County public defender’s office. SUSANNE PEREZ lives in Costa Mesa and is an executive assistant for a financial services company.