Consinema Review

Rating: 4 out of 5 BradBags of popcorn

Title: Our Idiot Brother

Director: Jesse Peretz (former bass player of the Lemonheads) and Evgenia Peretz (Vanity Fair Contributor). (A curious triviological aside: both are heirs to the Singer Sewing Machine Fortune.)

The Pitch: Well-meaning hippy pothead unintentionally wreaks havoc on the lives of his three New York dwelling sisters.

Plot Summary: After an 8-month stint in jail and early parole for good behaviour, Ned finds himself no longer welcome at the organic farm where he lived/worked with his girlfriend. To add insult to injury she insists on exclusive custody of his beloved dog "Willie Nelson". His three sisters have all "made it" in the Big Apple pursuing one or another of the paths to "success" - one is raising a family, one writes for a high profile magazine, and one is an artist. Although they'd all really rather be on their own, each succumbs to her sisterly obligation and insists he's welcome to stay with them any time. He does. Chaos and hilarity ensueth, naturally. 

The Verdict: Okay, this is one of those favourite filmic themes that traces its way all the way back to myth - the wise fool whose innocence is initially laughable, but whose essential moral purity challenges those around him to evaluate their own beliefs, lives, and priorities. Done badly, it can be trite (cough ***every second Robin Williams movie***cough). Done well, it's a wonderful device for holding a mirror to contemporary folly. This one actually works. 

What Shines: Although Ned isn't a bundle of hilarity any more than his sisters are, he's something much more: genuinely and contagiously likeable in a Capra-esque way. The movie never feels corny because of the way Paul Rudd underplays Ned. It gives him an amiability that doesn't feel sentimental, just laid back. More child-like than childish, and self-assured. The plot and relationship with the sisters is sort of messy, but what family dynamic isn't? I recommend this movie for ANYBODY who has a family. 

What Sucks: Because it's formulaic, and because we know what has to happen (even if we don't know exactly how), the movie it too long. Ned is pushed from sibling to sibling, amusing oddity leads to irritation leads to insight...yep, we get it, we get it! 

Watch out for: Ned's relationship with secondary characters in the movie. Everybody looks as if they can't believe they're falling for this. And they do. And we fall right along with them.