Our Idiot Brother 2011 (Blu-Ray Review)
Posted: Monday, November 28, 2011
by MKDS
Storm Multi-Media Technologies Ltd
Director: Jesse Peretz
Writer: David Schisgall, Evgenia Peretz
Cast:
Paul Rudd ... Ned
Nick Sullivan ... Customer
Zooey Deschanel ... Natalie
Francesca Papalia ... Sadie
Emily Mortimer ... Liz
Bob Stephenson ... Officer Washburn
Peter Hermann ... Terry
Adam Scott ... Jeremy
Kelly Briter ... Girl with Jeremy
Rashida Jones ... Cindy
Steve Coogan ... Dylan
Kathryn Hahn ... Janet
T.J. Miller ... Billy
Shirley Knight ... Ilene
Plot: A comedy centred on an idealist who barges into the lives of his three sisters.
Review: A little while ago we reviewed the film "Hall Pass", starring Owen Wilson, which turned out to be one of the best rated movies on our Archive List. With "Our Idiot Brother", starring Paul Rudd and Steve Coogan (yes, that little big comic from the UK), the cast is strengthened much more with Adam Scott, Elizabeth Banks, T.J. Miller and the beautiful but crazy Zooey Deschannel.
Telling the story of Ned (Paul Rudd), who, through no fault of his own - ok, so maybe a little bit his own fault - sells a bag of weed to a uniformed police officer who approaches his better sided nature. A couple of months later and Ned is released from prison, only to find that life is not to be so comforting, as his girl is now with someone else and who had failed throughout the whole eight months of his prison time to let him know that things at home had changed.
Finding love and shelter at his Mother’s house, a roof over his head and other privileged family comforts, Ned becomes a little exhausted with the 'Norm' of his Mother and decides to call on Family to help get him out until he gets back on his feet again. Unfortunately, when all those of his family (consisting of four sisters) run all the excuses in the book to get out of obliging him, Ned goes to his first stint of being on the couch/sofa and to plan his next move.
Filled with very loud and colourful "A woman scorned" language, it would seem that at every corner there is some strange fact that as quickly as Ned makes new friends, he is losing them to the stupidity that he has always kept at bay all his life.
Being that of a pacifist Ned avoids all confrontations when he can, except of course when it comes to his best friend Willy Nelson, his dog and confidante. Of course to his ex-girlfriend who has moved onto the next guy who came along after Ned goes to prison, to her Willy Nelson is just a dog and the one thing that Ned wants and wanted more than her.
The whole concept of Our Idiot Brother has brought a lighter breath of fresh air to the film covenant, where the viewer is greeted by a crescendo of various traits from the comedy world. There is a Drama element in there, too, where the fundamental changes of people’s lives through modern societies evolving can really make a difference to individual life.
Finding this film funny and sometimes sharp to the extent of Ned’s naivity in Dylan’s extra marital behaviours, the rating may reflect a low number in the whole outcome, but its flavour may not be to everyone’s liking. The balance of acting is – at times juggled between both Zooey Deschannel and Steve Coogan, who bring a lot of new humour to the field. And, making more than four times in returns of what the film actually cost to make – at $10.00 a ticket – you work out how many patrons and fans of these actors and actresses attended cinemas.
DVD Archive Rating: 7/10
Additional Info:
Runtime: USA: 90 min
Budget: $5,000,000 (estimated)
Opening Weekend: $7,011,631 (USA) (28 August 2011) (2555 Screens)
Gross: $24,814,830 (USA) (20 November 2011)
© Marcus De Storm/The DVD Archive 2011
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