On its release in the US, Our Idiot Brother proved to be less than successful. From a commercial perspective, it fell between two stools.
With the rise of the gross-out comedies over the last few years, the good-natured Our Idiot Brother was just not scatologically funny enough. And, in spite of its serious undertones of dysfunctional families, it was a little too thin and light-hearted to be an arthouse film.
Hippy Honesty Can Be Just Plain Dumb
The premise of Our Idiot Brother is simple enough. On his release from prison for selling dope to a uniformed policeman (yes, a uniformed policeman), Ned (Paul Rudd) is forced to return to his mother’s urban home after being ejected by his girlfriend from the organic farm.
With an ever-present glass of chardonnay in her hand, mom is not easy to live with, so Ned is forced to do the rounds of living with his three sisters. Trouble is most of them have their own problems and none of them really want honest Ned in their immediate lives – he’s just too straight talking, and just a little dumb.
He’s slow on the uptake when he catches brother-in-law Dylan (Steve Coogan) supposedly filming naked with beautiful Russian ballerina Tatiana. He blurts out youngest sister Natalie’s pregnancy to her girlfriend whilst on a mission to kidnap his dog from his ex-girlfriend’s home.
Naive and Charming
The problem is Ned is so likeable – and Paul Rudd beautifully captures the naïve innocence behind the heavy beard. Young nephew River adores him. He instantly wins over Lady Arabella, eldest sister Miranda’s (Elizabeth Banks, splendidly bitchy and career focused) first interviewee and big chance at the magazine. More so than charmless Miranda who struggles to get anything out of the celeb.
It is in being so convincing as the naïve Ned that Paul Rudd delivers an astonishing scene towards the end of the film where he suddenly turns on the three sisters and their complete selfishness. Over a game of charades, the whole premise of the film shifts – to the point that Ned doesn’t want to make bail having been arrested for admitting smoking a joint to his parole officer (yes, his parole officer).
Ultimately, Ned is a little naïve and his actions may seem somewhat dumb, but Our Idiot Brother is more about a celebration of difference than any particular judgement. True, Ned has been arrested twice for drug possession. He’s also asked a fellow passenger on the Metro to hold a wad of dollar bills whilst he finds something in his bag.
But then from his perspective, sister Liz (a wonderfully frazzled Emily Mortimer) doesn’t even realise her husband is having an affair, Miranda is too caught up in her career to recognise neighbour Jeremy is totally in love with her and that the kooky Natalie (Zooey Deschanel) cannot decide if she is straight or a lesbian – in spite of a beautiful relationship with Cindy.
Whilst It would certainly have benefitted from tighter directing – it did wander aimlessly at times – and the ensemble cast certainly saved its thinner moments, Our Idiot Brother is an enjoyable film that is both light and has a degree of depth to it without being too challenging.
Our Idiot Brother
- Starring Paul Rudd (I Love You Man, Role Models), Elizabeth Banks (The Next Three Days, Zack & Miri Make a Porno), Zooey Deschanel (500 Days Last Summer, Yes Man), Emily Mortimer (Lars and the Real Girl, Dear Frankie)
- Director: Jesse Peretz (Fast Track, The Chateau)
- Writers: David Schisgall, Evgenia Peretz
- Producers: Anthony Bregman (Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind, Synecdoche New York), Peter Saraf (Little Miss Sunshine, Away We Go), Marc Turtletaub (Little Miss Sunshine, Away We Go)
- 3/5
Keith Lawrence - Published writer of articles in magazines, newspapers and websites, predominantly on culture, alongside ghostwriter/editor/copywriter.
Join the Conversation