You'd Have to Be an Idiot

I've enjoyed pretty much every Paul Rudd movie I've seen, or have at least found him funny in movies that were otherwise average. So I was curious to see one of his more recent efforts, Our Idiot Brother. The movie casts him, as the title promises, as a complete dolt whose social awkwardness causes strife for all around him.

The "our" of the title is a group of three sisters, played by Emily Mortimer, Elizabeth Banks, and Zooey Deschanel. So right off the bat, you can tell this film isn't hurting for skilled actors. Toss in a few supporting players including Rashida Jones and Adam Scott, and you have one of the better comedy casts assembled in 2011.

The problem is, the script simply doesn't offer anything to really showcase their talent. The 90 minutes seem to drag on for much longer than that as the same beat is played over and over again: the main character says the wrong thing, which winds up in him getting booted from one sister's house to the next. He leaves a trail of wrecked relationships in his wake. It's not that it's all too dramatic to laugh at. It isn't. It's just not all that funny.

The movie definitely comes off as one more fun for the cast to make than it is for us to watch. A series of outtakes that run over the end credits offer the best laughs in the film, aside from a couple of skillfully dry one-liners from Adam Scott. Otherwise, the repetition just wears thin. (Isn't it funny that his dog's name is "Willie Nelson?" No? Well, we'll keep repeating it until you laugh.)

The cast does their utmost, but the result is still just a grade D at best. Our Idiot Brother should definitely be skipped, no matter how big a fan you are of Paul Rudd, The New Girl, Parks and Recreation, or whatever past success featured any of these actors.