Our Idiot Brother

As has been stated many times already, Ned (Paul Rudd) is not an idiot. Well, he kind of is. He lacks understanding of normal social protocol, and not in a genius kind-of-way, but as a hippie. Prone to frequent breakdowns in communication, one such instance lands him in jail. When he's out, he's off to live with his family. His sisters all treat him like he's an idiot. Hence, the title, "Our Idiot Brother."

Ned is a good and caring guy. His sisters are completely different and completely different from each other — one is even British. In their own way, they are all selfish, demanding and insensitive people. But don't worry, Ned is our hero and protagonist. If you are currently sighing in relief, I understand. A career spanning two decades with 30-plus movie credits, and we've only seen Paul Rudd in the lead role a handful of times.

Rudd has infused Ned with all the charm, likability and overall appeal that we have come to expect from him. Surprisingly, the less likable actresses playing the three unlikable sisters were at least able to add some humour to their characters. The three supporting actors probably could have stolen the show if they were given more time: Steve Coogan as the husband with a penchant for exhibitionism; Hugh Dancy as a creepy artist turned cultist; and Adam Scott as Rudd's long lost brother — not literally, he just has the same presence.

"Our Idiot Brother" is a comedy, one of those heart-warming comedies, where all of the characters start coming around to see the value of having Ned in their life. It takes them longer than us to realize his positive aspects because most of them are not fully-developed characters, especially the mother, I'm not sure what the point of her was.

Unfortunately, it's not a particularly funny comedy, but it is a likable one. A few ill-fated groin jokes would have been better off in a different movie, and a few jokes lost their humour after they appeared in the trailer, and after that there's only a few left to discover. It is funny, but not as funny as you would expect a comedy to be. But did I mention likable? Because that's what "Our Idiot Brother" is: sweet, charming and overall appealing.

Jesse Peretz's 'Our Idiot Brother' is a decent watch, but what stands tall in this film, is, without a shed of doubt, Paul Rudd's lovable performance in the central role. The actor has never been so convincing before!

'Our Idiot Brother' tells the story of an idealistic man who intrudes and wreaks havoc in each of his three sisters' lives.

The film begins well, dips in the middle, but luckily, culminates properly. As said, it's a decent watch, that never really bores or loses it's pace. Evgenia Peretz & David Schisgall's Screenplay is good, but it could've been better, especially post 40-minutes. Jesse Peretz Directs this comedy-drama, ably. Cinematography, Editing & Art Design, are fair.

Performance-Wise: Paul Rudd delivers his careers most lovable/convincing performance in here. He literally owns the film. As his sisters, Elizabeth Banks, Emily Mortimer & Zooey Deschanel, are first-rate. Kathryn Hahn is perfect. Rashida Jones is passable. Steve Coogan is as usual. Others lend support.

On the whole, 'Our Idiot Brother' is a time-pass fare. A must watch for Rudd fanatics.

After Our Idiot Brother was over, I appreciated it the same way I did Identity Thief. Both movies were marketed as comedies... Yet, I didn't laugh very much. What I DID like though, was the way the characters were written in the two films. In Identity Thief, the jerk criminal played by Melissa McCarthy goes through a great personality transformation over the course of the movie, which is surprising, convincing and very sweet. If I ever watch it again, it's that I'd concentrate on... Not the negligible attempts at humour.

In Our Idiot Brother, the chap mentioned in the title as portrayed by Paul Rudd is a fool, yes... In his very first scene he sells cannabis to a police officer. IN UNIFORM. After his prison sentence has elapsed, he suffers the humiliation of losing his girlfriend and dog, before being forced to move in with his mother. At this point, observing his general idiocy and habit of letting people walk all over him, my empathy level for this guy stood at absolutely zero. Then, his three sisters enter stage left.

ALL of them have problems. One is a lesbian who's just fallen pregnant from a fling with a man. Another is married to Alan Partridge, who's banging a ballerina. The last one either gets a HOT story for her work as a journalist, or she might face the sack. Yep, it's yet ANOTHER dysfunctional All-American family (Still, watching a feature length flick about The Waltons would be rather dull, wouldn't you agree?)

Despite their own mounting difficulties, each one's opinion of their dopey brother range from tolerance to outright embarrassment. Yet, due to his happy-go-lucky attitude and general earnestness, he somehow helps each one out (albeit unintentionally for the most part) by just being his goofy, charming self. Not that they recognise this, though... And he eventually becomes a conduit for their own insecurities and frustrations, until it looks like the entire family might break up.

With a superb cast and witty, truthful dialogue, Our Idiot Brother, in it's quite short running length barely puts a foot wrong, in giving us a bunch of people who's lives we care about and proving that sometimes the idiot of the family can be the smartest one. I must say that being around someone like this all the time in real life would drive me CRAZY... I like those who are a little more confrontational and a little less eager to please. But you can't deny the impact he has on changing the lives of his siblings for the better... And for that alone, he earns my respect.

Very well done... 7/10

This film tells how a man who is so kind and honest that he manages to mess everyone's life up, including his own.

Ned is a young man with three sisters, and he goes to jail because he gave marijuana to a policeman who asks for it. He might appear very stupid to people, and indeed he is portrayed to be an idiot. However, it does beg the question whether an honest existence and a simplistic life is an undesirable or even a wrong life. I also had the thought that Ned in fact is living happily, unlike his three sisters who think he is stupid. The ending is a sweet and touching one, even though it is rather poorly developed and it feels like a very sudden paradigm shift for the characters involved. Overall, "Our Idiot Brother" is quite enjoyable as it is funny throughout, and is touching in the end.

As I write this review at the end of August, 2011, I realize it's my last one of a good summer, and the movie, Our Idiot Brother, is a good movie. It's a light-hearted, low-key comedy about a hippie brother Ned (Paul Rudd) returning home from prison for selling pot to a uniformed policeman.

That little episode that put him in jail is not only humorous because of Ned's naiveté but also because of his big heart that would empathize with the seemingly depressed cop and sell him the weed. Ned is a sweet idealist who believes the best about his fellow humans and rarely is disappointed. Although he has been a biodynamic farmer but now doesn't have a job, his real job is turning his family honest, sister by sister, without even trying, without even knowing that his Ibsen-like Wild Duck openness has changed lives for the better.

For instance, when he forces his sister Miranda (Elizabeth Banks) to be honest with her publisher about a source for an important story, she eventually is better for the setback. A little like Forrest Gump with less cluelessness, Ned changes things with the force of his own honesty.

His three sisters are not wicked witches; they're just New Yorkers who have lost their way in marriage, sexual orientation, or plain old occupation. Director Jesse Peretz keeps the cast underplaying as he allows the ripening of their lives through the gentle ministrations of this child-like brother.

While I always favor the outré Royal Tenenbaums or eccentric Little Miss Sunshine, it's pleasant to experience a relatively mild comedy about family dysfunction and want more.