Our Idiot Brother

With its cast of comedy heavyweights, its rather silly title, and a marketing campaign geared in the wrong direction--"Our Idiot Brother" is a film that may certainly fail to meet the expectations of an audience looking for a rude and ribald laugh riot. And others that would be more likely to appreciate its simpler charms might be wary to sample it due to these preconceived notions. But I have to say--for my money, "Our Idiot Brother" is a refreshingly sweet family dramedy. It has such a big heart and an underlying goodness and faith in humanity that is rare to see. The movie doesn't have lofty goals or aspire to be an important viewing experience, and its lack of pretensions are appreciated. This is simply an entertaining film with a cast sharing great chemistry and gentle humor.

Paul Rudd plays the titular lead, the so-called idiot brother. Rudd, always a strong comedic presence, doesn't get enough credit for being a genuinely terrific actor with unexpected range. Here, his character is so guileless and so genuine that he opts to see only the very best in people. His honesty, innocence, and willingness to really connect with others sometimes gets him into hot water. He seems unwilling or unable to plug into the negative energy stream, and just wants to live free and love. So silly, so sweet, and so surprisingly smart--there are quite a few layers at work here. I think it's a great performance. Elizabeth Banks, Zooey Deschanel, and Emily Mortimer are Rudd's trio of sisters. Each is navigating a complicated personal crisis and Rudd's return home from prison wreaks havoc on their carefully constructed lives. But is he really the problem? Or might there be a method to his madness?

Part of why I enjoyed "Our Idiot Brother" so much was that it had the potential to be a disaster. To pull off sweet charm without crossing the line into sentimental treacle is a fine balancing act that many films fail to straddle successfully. Here, there is a tartness to all of the performances (and really, you couldn't ask for a better cast) that grounds the relationships believably. Steve Coogan, Adam Scott, Shirley Knight, Rashida Jones, and Hugh Dancy all have noteworthy moments as well. Sweet without being saccharine, quirky without being ridiculous--this simple and straightforward movie was a real delight. And Rudd, in particular, scores big. KGHarris, 11/11.

Paul Rudd's very sweet and endearing comedy about a stoner who just likes living a happy life in our cynical and often cruel world is a welcome comedy in this recent era of gross-out blockbusters (many of which you can find Rudd in, courtest of Apatow).

Ned (Rudd) is an organic farmer who is just too nice. So nice that he readily sells marijuana to someone he KNOWS is a cop. Of course, he only accepted money from the officer because said policeman INSISTED on paying for it... Ned was just going to give it away.

That tells you the kind of person Ned is... nice to the point of stupidity.

Once he gets out of jail and on probation, he pretty much plays a game of round robin, living alternately with his three sisters who each have their own issues that Ned can't help but complicate. Miranda (Elizabeth Banks) is trying to track down a story that she could source Ned on... if only he would lie (which he won't). Natalie (Zooey Deschanel) is pregnant, normally something to celebrate if she weren't in a committed relationship with another woman (Rashida Jones), a fact which Ned can't keep to himself. And, finally, Liz (Emily Mortimer) is married to a frustrating git of a pseudo-artiste husband (played here brilliantly by Steve Coogan as the guy you love to hate) whom Ned finds out is cheating on her.

Jesse Peretz has put together a great cast that gels well in all of their roles and the movie only suffers here and there in terms of delivery, pacing and overall plotting.

I loved Katy Hahn and TJ Miller as Ned's ex and her new boyfriend respectively. It especially worked in the denouement when we finally find out Ned's fate in terms of life and love. TJ Miller usually annoys me as he's typecast as the jerk slacker in most of his other roles (She's Out of My League, Cloverfield), but he really settled into his part of overly-helpful Billy. Really, he's just another Ned in the world and, even though we only see him in a few scenes, it worked.

The main problem I had with the film was just how quickly the third act resolution occurs, when the sisters all finally have their "duh" moment and realize that Ned's way of looking at the world is better than theirs. It all felt rushed, as if the story focused too much on how Ned unintentionally knocks down their house of card lives and not enough on how they would have to put them back together.

Still there was a lot for me to love about this film. I'd recommend at least a rental, if not a purchase. It's definitely worth seeing for all the feel-good laughs to be had, even if there's nothing really laugh-out-loud until you get to the outtakes.

This comedy/Drama was a delightful surprise. I thought, I might be in for either one of those over the top potty-mouth films or a slap-sticky comedy. It was neither. It was a charming look at a guy who is a bit short of common sense but with a heart of gold. He causes all kinds of calamity for his sisters but at the end of the day everyone is better off. There are laughs and tears. This is a good movie, well written and well acted.