Our Idiot Brother

I watched this 2011 Comedy movie a week or so ago. The reviews for the movie were middling but with Paul Rudd as the star I thought it was worth checking out.

Rudd stars as Ned Rochin. Ned is an organic farmer who has a heart of gold. As my wife would say he is all " peace, love, and happiness." On top of that he is about as naive as he can be. One day when working at an organic fair selling some of his vegetables a local police officer stops by and tells him of his problems. He is having a bad day and needs a pick me up. His hints do not work and Ned certainly does not offer to give him anything to help, the officer departs with his head hanging, and Ned who trusts everyone calls him back and gives him some rhubarb with a bag of pot. The officer " insists" on paying for it and then punishes Ned's big heart by citing him for selling him the pot.

Wherever Ned goes people love him and prison is no different. He is released early as a result of his good behavior but when he comes home he finds his girlfriend has taken up with another man. This in itself is bad but for Ned the real tragedy is that his now ex girlfriend will not let Ned have his dog, claiming that the dog is hers. Without Willie Nelson ( his dogs name) Ned is bereft.

With no place to go Ned comes home to his family. His Mom and three sisters all love him but all admit to thinking that Ned is a little bit odd. Each of his sisters has their own life situation they are dealing with. Liz, played by Emily Mortimer is married and has a seven year old boy. They are the stereotypical new age parents not allowing the boy to do anything dangerous or, frankly, fun. Elizabeth Banks plays Miranda, an uptight journalist trying to rise to the top and Zooey Deschanel as Natalie his lesbian sister.

Ned moves from sister to sister, usually staying long enough to cause trouble and havoc in the home without meaning to. Ned because of his absolute lack of guile and being so naive often gets himself in trouble by saying too much. Over the course of the movie Ned is always sweet and nice but people do not appreciate his good intent. more than anything however he just wants his dog back.

By the end of the movie the jury is still out on if Ned helped or hurt his sisters with his inadvertent interference in their lives but what is not in doubt is that he is a sweet person that the world might need more of.

Finally reunited with Willie Nelson at the end of the movie it appears things might be looking up with a little help from none other than Dolly Parton

Dinner for Schmucks

We watched this movie last night on HBO. About thirty minutes in I said to my wife that this movie was not that funny. We stuck with it and in the end were rewarded. The movie itself was not great. The cast however was strong and in the case of Steve Carell and Zak Galifinakas exceptional.

Paul Rudd plays Tim Conrad an ambitous business executive who is trying to get ahead. Looking for a promotion he brings an Swiss client into the business and offered a promotion. Still for the promotion he must take part in a Dinner for Winners. The purpose of this dinner when it becomes apparent is to bring the biggest idiot to supper. Tim's girlfriend a museum curator is against this idea.

Pondering all this Tim runs into, literally, Barry Speck played by Steve Carell. Speck accidentally sabotages his relationship with his girlfriend and his business dinner with his potential client. Still Tim knows that Barry is a good person and develops an affection for him.

In the end everything turns out the way one would like but there are many detours on the way. Galifinakas plays Barry Speck's fellow IRS employee and arch competitor and as in all of his roles is over the top and scene stealing.