Our Idiot Brother

OUR IDIOT BROTHER
90 minutes
R
Director: Jesse Peretz
Writers: David Schisgall, Evgenia Peretz
Paul Rudd, Elizabeth Banks, Emily Mortimer
Zooey Deschanel, Rashida Jones, Steve Coogan

I decided to do my duty honestly and firmly. Maybe it will be
boring and painful for me to be with people. In the first place I
decided to be polite and candid with everybody; no one can ask
more of me. Maybe I'll be considered a child here, too—so be it!                                                         

Dostoevsky, THE IDIOT p. 137

Look at this guy. You can tell, solely by his appearance, that he sells vegetables at a farmer's marThe key word is idiot: only an idiot could embody the highest of human values. Only an idiot would sell pot to a uniformed police officer.

Ned is an unassuming, non-judgmental type of guy. An idealist, always seeing the best in people. This catches up to him... eventually.

Ned serves a short jail sentence. His family pays his bail, but he just decides just to serve the rest of his sentence. Upon arriving home, he learns his girlfriend started going out with his best friend, and he no longer has a place to crash (or grow organic vegetables). 

Paul Rudd usually plays different characters. Mostly playing average guys, who are lacking in confidence. I was a little skeptical at the beginning of this film, he does not seem like the type of guy who could pull this off.

(Pictured on the left) Ned is at a meeting with his parole officer. He is incredibly candid with him. Later on, he tells the parole officer about the joint he smoked with the neighbor kid.

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Has Three Sisters

They help him out monetarily, and give him place to stay. But Ned is wreaking havoc in the personal lives of his sisters, or at least it seems that way.

Liz (Mortimer) Middle Sister. Her husband, Dylan (Coogan) dooshy documentary film maker (as opposed to a non-dooshy documentary film maker)

Miranda (Banks) ambitious (at any cost), status seeking, boyfriend  is unpublished sci-fi writer.

Natalie-Ned's youngest sister, (Deschanel), and partner, Cindy (Jones).

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Fictional Characters Similar to Ned

This type of character is rarely explored. Most people are not able to relate to saints, but they exist nonetheless.

HAPPY-GO-LUCKY (2008), a British comedy; Sally Hawkins played a similar character. A free spirited, elementary school teacher.   Acknowledging the bad things in life, while still remaining upbeat, and optimistic (I'm sure you can infer this from the movie title).

 Who's the boy that can laugh at a storm cloud?
 Who can turn a frown into a smile for free?
 Who's that kid with a heart full of magic?
 Everyone knows it's Butters!

This kid is pure innocence:

when Butters grows up, he will end up like this Ned character.

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My Conclusion

The actors have real chemistry together (especially Paul Rudd and Elizabeth Banks); they all have experience both comedy and drama. By far, Paul Rudd's best movie, you can really tell how much fun he is having portraying this character. 

The conclusion seems a bit rushed, that is my only complaint. This movie is worth watching; I suggest viewing it at some point.

'The dude abides. I don't know about you, but I take comfort in that. It's good knowin' he's out there, the Dude, takin' her easy for all us sinners.'

-Sam Elliot, Dodge Truck Spokesman

Paul Rudd on Conan.  Pretty Funny, especially toward the end.

Final Verdict: 90 out of 100

Rise of the Planet of the Apes

RISE OF PLANET OF THE APES
105 min
PG-13
Director: Rupert Wyatt
Writers: Pierre Boulle, Rick Jaffa, Amanda Silver
James Franco, Andy Serkis, Freida Pinto, John Lithgow, Tom Felton

'I want a new invincible human being, insensitive to pain, resistant and indifferent about the quality of food they eat ...'

-Joeseph Stalin (regarding a Soviet program attempting to cross humans with chimpanzees) 

Australopithecus, Homo Habilis, Homo Erectus, Encino Man, Tony Danza, Caesar

If we can learn anything from GORILLAS IN THE MIST (1988), it is that human beings cannot peacefully exist with Sigourney Weaver.

It is a rather ambitious project: reviving a franchise weighed down by its past—its past awfulness. 

Technically, it is a prequel, but there are still issues concerning continuity. In 2011, everything just seems much more believable, as far as the science and the CGI are concerned.

It is best just to take this movie at face value. I find myself pleasantly surprised by the 7th installment of this franchise.

Will Rodman (Franco) is a researcher at Gen Sys. Will takes home 'Caesar' after his mother dies in a hail of gunfire, after testing an Alzheimer's drug. Will smuggles doses of the drug out, so he can treat his father's ever-worsening condition. This virus (ALZ-112) was passed down to her son (Caesar) genetically, as was her level intelligence.

Will's father, Charles(Lithgow) suffers from Alzheimer's, and lives with  his son.  His place in this movie seems like a little nod to  HarryGary Buseyand the HENDERSONS(1987).  It is nice to see John Lithgow in something other than a Campbell's  soup commercial (I know—he did play a very convincing psychopath on DEXTER).

This chimp lives with Will, he learns sign language, and looks out for Will's father. This cannot be a permanent living situation; this is PLANET OF THE APES, not CURIOUS GEORGE. After a violent incident with a neighbor, Caesar is sent to a  'sanctuary'. They keep apes there, and they are treated rather (for lack of a better term)  inhumanely.

'Get your stinking paws off me you damn dirty ape!'

Tom Felton- Blonde evil kid from Harry Potter. You know he is up to no good.

Caesar throws his low-protein gruel at Dodge Landon (Felton). The chimp finds this most hilarious.

'You think that's funny, huh.'

Dodge sprays him with a fire hose.

Tom Felton has sealed his fate: he will always be typecasted as an evil guy; like John Wayne only playing cowboys. Although, I could see him playing Macaulay Culkin in a biopic.

Steven Jacobs (Oyelowo) plays the CEO of a big pharmaceutical  company.  This character is just a tad cliché. He seems very  one-dimensional, only  concerned with keeping shareholders happy.

'You make history, I make money.'

—Steven Jacobs

'Cause everytime you let the animal out cages, it's dangerous to people who look like strangers.'

         -THE WATCHER, Dr. Dre

It's interesting; how Caesar takes the moral high ground in various scenes. He gets this priceless look on his face that says: 'hey c'mon, we're better than that'. One could almost call him a 'Gandhi-type' figure, in this fictional ape society.

'Noooooooooo!'

-Ceaser

Make no mistake, this chimp is no panzee: he is like  George S. Patton, Stephen Hawking, and Confucius all wrapped up into one creature. Additionally,  he has an army of brave, super-smart apes.

The climax of this film takes place place on the Golden Gate Bridge.  The San Francisco PD and federal agents, are ready to make Rice-A-Roni of anything that moves with four hands. An epic battle: you already know the apes win. But how they win, with raw intellect, is truly amazing.

Ahh Ahh Ahh Ahh Chity Chi bob botta...

When you're lost out there and your all alone

A light is waiting to carry you home

Everywhere you look.

Another sci-fi action movie for a thinking person, like DISTRICT 9 (2009), 28 DAYS LATER (2002), or CHILDREN OF MEN(2006). James Franco gives an Oscar worthy performance (well, maybe a tad better). I would recommend buying this movie on Blu-ray.

Final Verdict: 92 out of 100

The Beaver

THE BEAVER
PG-13
91 minutes
Director: Jodie Foster
Writer: Kyle Killen
Mel Gibson, Jodie Foster, Anton Yelchin, Riley Thomas Stewart, Matt Lauer

The Beaver: As of now, Walter is resigning. And putting me in charge!

In this documentary, we follow Mel Gibson in his day-to-day life. We see him spiral out of control; slowly drifting deeper into insanity. Walking around the house all drunk and depressed, he eventually takes this pity party into a motel room. He fails to commit suicide in his motel room. From here, he starts talking with a puppet, like Mr. Hat on SOUTH PARK this puppet sounds like Michael Caine.

Walter Black: Who are you?
The Beaver: I’m the beaver, Walter. And I’m here to save your damn life.

At this point, I released I was not watching a documentary. This is a fictional movie that Jodie Foster directed. This film was released quietly, with little fanfare. This movie was finished before he allegedly, assaulted his ex-girlfriend, and before those secretly recorded phone conversations.

Walter Black (Gibson) is the president of a toy company. He has a long history of mental health issues. Out of nowhere, he becomes completely debilitated by serious depression. He develops a coping mechanism, communicating with others through use of a puppet.



 Merideth (Foster) is his wife.

'I’ve been very patient. But I want you. Not him.'

 Porter (Yelkin) is a high school senior. Applied to Brown University, only to turned down. Writes classmates essays for cash. He is in the process of writing a graduation speech for someone else.

 Henry (Stewart) is five years old.

Meredith (Foster) decides to give Walter an ultimatum: it is either your family or the puppet. He chooses the puppet. Later, when he tries destroying the puppet, the puppet cuts off his hand.

Henry: Is dad gone?
Meredith: He’s not gone, honey. We just…agreed that it’s better if we don’t live together anymore.

It is strange, seeing Jodie Foster and Mel Gibson on the same screen. Just think, Jodie Foster wanted Mel Gibson to be in her movie.

Mel Gibson was the only entertaining person in this film, and he was only funny for about 45 minutes. By funny, I mean it in the ironic sense.
 

Final Verdict: 50 out of 100

Sidenote:

This beaver puppet thing has be done before.

At first glance, it sounds like 'Ranger Joe' on Full House.

But that is not the case.

You see, Ranger Joe had a woodchuck (commonly known  as a groundhog), woodchucks and beavers are completely different animals.

Cowboys and Aliens Mini-Review

Cowboys and Aliens
118 mins
PG-13
Director: Jon Favreau
Writers: Roberto Orci (screenplay), Alex Kurtzman
Daniel Craig, Harrison Ford, Julio Cedillo, Olivia Wilde, Paul Dano, Olivia Wilde

“You have to stop thinking.”

-Ella Swenson (Wilde)

It seemed like a novelty movie. I figured, best case scenario: it would be about as good as Snakes on a Plane. 

Speaking of snakes.

Daniel Craig’s wrist, that looks familiar. And you are correct, I was looking for an excuse to watch Escape from LA.

It would be a waste of time to explain the plot, because there isn't one.

Harrison Ford plays a caricature of his other characters. He just kind of showed up for a paycheck, and nothing more.

Paul Dano (There Will Be Blood), plays his good-for-nothing, spoiled son.

This conversation between Harrison Ford and Eli Dano takes place toward the end.

Don’tcha remember me boy?

I’m sorry I don’t remember much.

I’m your father.

Oh Pa!

This movie ends like an episode of Bonanza.

This movie was good for about forty minutes; from there, it made no sense at all. And that is the worst kind of movie: one that picks you up, just to let you down. 

Final Verdict: 15 out of 100