Movies Reviews

Our Idiot Brother – Movie Review

By Anne Brodie Aug 25, 2011, 1:33 GMT

A comedy centered on an idealist who barges into the lives of his three sisters. ...more

Paul Rudd is engaging and retro adorable as Ned, a shaggy haired organic farmer who is about as brainy as his tomatoes but just as full of good stuff.  Jailed on drug offences, he wishes nothing more than to help other people and spread peace and love. 

A free spirit and hippie who appears to have fried his brains with illegal substances,   all Ned wants back is someone to love him and his dog Willie Nelson.   His search is thwarted every step of the way by his three shrewish sisters Miranda (Elizabeth Banks), Natalie (Zooey Deschanel) and Liz (Emily Mortimer), his ex-girlfriend Janet (Kathryn Hahn) and his doting mother Ilene (Shirley Knight).

Yes, there’s a lot of estrogen in his life, and maybe that explains the fact that he’s been spoiled and never grew up. 

Ned’s lover and farming partner Janet found someone new during his incarceration, so he has nowhere to go but his mom’s.  That doesn’t work so he flits from sister to sister, like a roadshow of inadvertent, but crushing truth telling that comes to town, shatters the myths and moves on to the next town.  

The sisters’ veils of denial are lifted and they are shocked into reality.  He doesn’t see that he’s done something bad; he is just “honest” because he’s an idealist as well as a bit of a rube.

He is completely unable to lie, sugar coat or cover up.   He’s a bellwether of sorts; his honesty and behavior tends to chip away at his family’s carefully groomed artifice and he’s too sweet natured and, er, simple, to realize how his honesty effects people.   These women are living inauthentic lives and he’s just trying to be truthful, and he’s not judging.  

Miranda’s a Vanity fair writer motivated by selfishness, money, and prestige, Natalie’s cheating on her lesbian lover and Liz’ husband’s cheating on her with a ballerina, the subject of his documentary.   It’s not like he dug up dirt, he’s just reporting what he sees.

Ned creates discomfort and laughter, a wonderfully wicked mix for a comedy and a difficult balance to hold because he can’t lose our empathy.  Rudd does a masterful job.  He was apparently allowed to improvise on a few occasions and I’m guessing one of them was an hysterical exchange with Miller, a, non-sexual diatribe about guys dipping candles together that seems as though they invented it in a genius  explosion of nuttiness.

The beauty of the film is that it is well-written; the characters are recognizable and relatable.  There’s empathy, love and humor to help the medicine go down.   The performances are sharp, and there’s not a stereotype in the bunch.  These are talented men and women, many from popular TV shows like The Office and Parks and Recreation as well as indie film stars circling Rudd who is well versed in comedy.  

The film is often insanely hilarious, always entertaining and light-hearted.   Rashida Jones, T.J. Miller, Steve Coogan and Hugh Dancy show up as lovers and husband which is just more good stuff.

Visit the movie database for more information.

35mm comedy
Written by David Schisgall, Evgenia Peretz
Directed by Jesse Peretz
Opens:  Aug 26
Runtime: 90 minutes
MPAA:  Rated R for sexual content including nudity, and for language throughout
Country: US
Language: English