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Miranda (Banks) ambitious (at any cost), status seeking, boyfriend is unpublished sci-fi writer.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