OUR IDIOT BROTHER Movie Review
By: Rama
So what did Ramascreen think of OUR IDIOT BROTHER? Come read his review and see what he thought of the movie. Please make sure to follow him on Facebook and Twitter.
The problem with OUR IDIOT BROTHER is that it probably should’ve been titled OUR BLABBERMOUTH BROTHER because at the end of the movie, you’d wonder if Ned’s (Paul Rudd) crime is that he’s an idiot or he’s just too truthful and naive, which then again could be considered idiocy by the world’s standard.
The comedy in OUR IDIOT BROTHER is weak so if you’ve come expecting to laugh til your side hurts, you’re going to get really disappointed but the story is charming and heartfelt enough to make you not completely regret watching this film…
Every family has one: the sibling who is always just a little bit behind the curve when it comes to getting his life together. For sisters Liz (Emily Mortimer), Miranda (Elizabeth Banks) and Natalie (Zooey Deschanel), that person is their perennially upbeat brother Ned (Paul Rudd), an erstwhile organic farmer whose willingness to rely on the honesty of mankind is a less-than-optimum strategy for a tidy, trouble-free existence. Ned may be utterly lacking in common sense, but he is their brother and so, after his girlfriend dumps him and boots him off the farm, his sisters once again come to his rescue. As Liz, Emily and Natalie each take a turn at housing Ned, their brother’s unfailing commitment to honesty creates more than a few messes in their comfortable routines. But as each of their lives begins to unravel, Ned’s family comes to realize that maybe, in believing and trusting the people around him, Ned isn’t such an idiot after all.
I genuinely hope for the best for Paul Rudd because I think he’s a fantastic actor who just happens to choose materials that don’t compliment his talent, OUR IDIOT BROTHER is a decent improvement, it’s a small enough movie that it kinda allows him some room to showcase what he’s got to offer as an actor. There’s a point in the movie where he’s pretty much had it up to here with his sisters’ blaming him for their problems, he lashes out and that’s when Paul Rudd is more than just cinema’s funnyman.
I was mistaken when I thought that Rudd’s character would be like ‘The Dude’ of this decade. Ned is nothing like Bridges’ The Dude’. Ned doesn’t really have trouble finding the words to say, he’s just one of those guys are too nice. He has no problem trusting people to the point where he’s even comfortable enough to let a stranger hold his money for him. He’s one of those likable guys that you can only stand for a few hours tops, any minute longer and you’d go insane, not because he annoys you but because his kindness creates some sort of ripple effect that would somehow come around and bite you in the ass.
The comedy of OUR IDIOT BROTHER lies in Ned not being able to keep his mouth shut and that pretty much ruins his sisters’ lives. By the way, the roles of the sisters by Emily Mortimer, Zooey Deschanel and Elizabeth Banks are just as pivotal as Rudd’s. And what I appreciate about the story is that it doesn’t have to resort to each of them dealing with Ned individually, because all three sisters confront Ned, all three sisters decide to help get Ned’s dog back, so the film remains OUR IDIOT BROTHER, not MY IDIOT BROTHER.
Is this a memorable comedy? Is this the role that Rudd will be famous for, years from now? I doubt it, like I said earlier, it’s charming or should I say it has its charms, I can see the appeal and some of its humor does work but overall I think the movie is just too ordinary and the role is not challenging enough for Rudd.
GRADE: 3 out of 5
Please Leave A Comment-
Comments