Our Idiot Brother (2011)

I laughed a few times (one good belly laugh) mostly at the hippy lingo and situations: candle-making conversation, a pacifist trying not to get angry, etc. The movie also had some sweet moments. Paul Rudd is an awesome leading man who has stayed mostly under the radar despite having a packed resume. His small role in Knocked Up (the scene where he and Seth Rogan's character go to Las Vegas) lifts that movie to another level; and the film Two Days is quietly stunning.All that said, this particular movie, Our Idiot Brother, doesn't quite reach either of those movies' heights, dramatically or comedically. It's kinda disjointed, for one thing. Lots of story lines and sisters to keep track of, and a bit too much weight placed on the dog's role. Oh well, it's not the worst movie ever. Try it, you might like it.

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

With having seen Paul Rudd recently star in David Gordon Green's Prince Avalanche,I was pleased to get told by a family friend that he had recently picked up another title starring Rudd,which led to me getting ready to find out how idiotic this brother could be.The plot:Released from jail after serving time for supplying a cop with marijuana,Ned Rochlin heads back to the farm,where he lives with his girlfriend Janet and their dog Willie Nelson. Receiving a slightly different reaction to the one he expected,Ned is told by Janet that a she now has a new boyfriend,and that he needs to get off her land.Meeting his family for the first time in months,Ned is disappointed to find each family member (his mum and 3 sisters called Miranda, Natalie and Liz) being unable to get on with each other.Pressing on her daughter Liz and her film maker husband Dylan,Ned's mum gets Liz & Dylan to grudgingly offer him a job of helping them around the house.Initially wanting to keep their "odd" brother out of their lives,Ned soon begins to completely change his sisters lives.View on the film:Giving the film a kooky indie vibe,the gorgeous trio of Elizabeth Banks, Emily Mortimer & Zooey Deschanel each give splendid performances,with Banks showing a real relish in using Ned to get her first scoop,whilst Deschanel shows Natalie to be dazed over committing to a relationship,as Emily Mortimer gradually forces Liz out of her self-confined shell.Joining the gals,Steve Coogan gives an excellent slime-ball performance as Liz's husband Dylan.Countering Coogan's slimy performance,Paul Rudd brilliantly makes sure that Ned never becomes sappy,thanks to Rudd giving Ned a warm sincerity in improving his family members lives.Keeping away from giving the title a bad bone in its body,co-writer/ (along with Evgenia Peretz and David Schisgall) director Jesse Peretz uses Ned naivety to give the film a sweet natured innocence which allow for the hilariously seedy & peculiar aspects of Ned's family members to really shine,as they each discover that Ned is far from an idiotic brother.

I stumbled on this movie while looking for something to watch, I am a Paul Rudd fan ever since FRIENDS, so gave it a try.The movie is really light, it restores your faith in good things in Life, for example being Honest. Yes, little things in life matter and being good to everyone around you is one of the little things you could do to help this world become a better place, people learn eventually good pays off better than bad (lies, dishonesty, etc). Love Paul Rudd, and Zooey Zooey Deschanel <3. Also, I could connect with the innocence of love Ned has for his Dog, Willie Nelson, lol, strange name for a Dog, wait for the climax of the movie, you're gonna love it. Those who've already watched the movie know what I am talking about. Grab a beer, some light snacks and watch the movie I must say, You will feel good about it.