Review of Our Idiot Brother (2011) by Joshua B — 07 Jun 2012

Our Idiot Brother is not as laugh-out-loud funny as a Judd Apatow film, but it was poorly served by marketing that made it out to be that kind of movie. It's not. Instead, it's a very sweet, light comedy about family.

Paul Rudd plays Ned, the title "idiot brother" of three sisters. He could have easily played the idiot in an grating Adam Sandler way. Instead, he plays him not as dim-witted, but as charmingly naive.

The movie starts with Ned being arrested for selling pot to a police officer in uniform. He's that trusting. And he's ultimately that charming. It's not necessarily the jokes that make this movie work, though some of those are fine, but it's the easy likeability with which Rudd imbues the character.

He is really like that family member whom, despite his many shortcomings, you can't help but love anyway.