Our Idiot Brother [Blu-ray]

Rudd Scores With A Big Hearted Relationship Dramedy: Unexpectedly Charming And Understated
With its cast of comedy heavyweights, its rather silly title, and a marketing campaign geared in the wrong direction--"Our Idiot Brother" is a film that may certainly fail to meet the expectations of an audience looking for a rude and ribald laugh riot. And others that would be more likely to appreciate its simpler charms might be wary to sample it due to these preconceived notions. But I have to say--for my money, "Our Idiot Brother" is a refreshingly sweet family dramedy. It has such a big heart and an underlying goodness and faith in humanity that is rare to see. The movie doesn't have lofty goals or aspire to be an important viewing experience, and its lack of pretensions are appreciated. This is simply an entertaining film with a cast sharing great chemistry and gentle humor.

Paul Rudd plays the titular lead, the so-called idiot brother. Rudd, always a strong comedic presence, doesn't get enough credit for being a genuinely terrific actor with unexpected range. Here,...

Great stuff... even if the sisters are too dense.
Paul Rudd's very sweet and endearing comedy about a stoner who just likes living a happy life in our cynical and often cruel world is a welcome comedy in this recent era of gross-out blockbusters (many of which you can find Rudd in, courtest of Apatow).

Ned (Rudd) is an organic farmer who is just too nice. So nice that he readily sells marijuana to someone he KNOWS is a cop. Of course, he only accepted money from the officer because said policeman INSISTED on paying for it... Ned was just going to give it away.

That tells you the kind of person Ned is... nice to the point of stupidity.

Once he gets out of jail and on probation, he pretty much plays a game of round robin, living alternately with his three sisters who each have their own issues that Ned can't help but complicate. Miranda (Elizabeth Banks) is trying to track down a story that she could source Ned on... if only he would lie (which he won't). Natalie (Zooey Deschanel) is pregnant, normally...

Delightful, funny and smartly written
This comedy/Drama was a delightful surprise. I thought, I might be in for either one of those over the top potty-mouth films or a slap-sticky comedy. It was neither. It was a charming look at a guy who is a bit short of common sense but with a heart of gold. He causes all kinds of calamity for his sisters but at the end of the day everyone is better off. There are laughs and tears. This is a good movie, well written and well acted.

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