By Matt Duncan
Coastal View News
One typically wouldn’t ask a complete stranger to hold onto one’s life savings. And, as a rule, one doesn’t blithely confess one’s crimes to the police. One would have to be an idiot to do that. But, then again, maybe the world could use more idiots like that. That is, if it’s only idiots who are trusting and honest, then maybe there is something to it. For, as “Our Idiot Brother” shows, sometimes the biggest idiots turn out to have the best grasp on what is most important.
Ned (Paul Rudd) is a happy-go-lucky guy selling produce at a farmer’s market when he gets arrested and imprisoned for selling pot to a police officer. Ned takes his punishment in stride, but when he gets out of jail, he quickly finds out that he has nowhere to go. His girlfriend (and roommate) has moved on with her life. And the true love of his life—a golden retriever named ‘Willie Nelson’—now belongs to another.
Heartbroken and confused, Ned stumbles into the arms of his mom (Shirley Knight) and three sisters (Elizabeth Banks, Zooey Deschanel, and Emily Mortimer). At first Ned’s family is glad to see him and happy to help him out. However, before too long, Ned’s presence becomes an irritant—his haplessness begins to interfere with the busy lives of the people he loves.
It might be that Ned is an obnoxiously naïve, painfully unaware, horribly unmotivated hippie who can’t be taken seriously. That is, “Our Idiot Brother” might just look like the story of a dope that gets busted for selling dope, and then goes on to ruin his sisters’ lives. On this interpretation, Ned is the goat. He’s simply an idiot.
But this is not what this movie is about. “Our Idiot Brother” is not just the story of a guy who is so honest that he confesses his crimes to his parole officer; it’s also about what others do in the presence of a person who is so open and trusting. It’s the story of a group of people—Ned’s sisters in particular—who are so busy, clever, conniving, and stressed out that they can’t stand the company of someone like Ned.
Which is a shame, because Ned is kind and loving. He is straightforward and incapable of abusing other people for his own gain. It is true that Ned is naïve, and yes, he could stand to grow up a bit. But it may be that Ned’s faults are not really his own. It could be that the only reason Ned looks like a failure is because he lives in a world that rejects his kindheartedness in favor of vindictiveness. One might think (or worry) that the real problem is not Ned’s childlike trust in others, but rather, others’ inability to be trusted.
“Our Idiot Brother” is funny and charming. Paul Rudd, with his long greasy hair, scraggly beard, broad grin, and blank stare, brings Ned to life. The other characters are also fun to watch, although they are far less memorable than Ned.
It is nice (and noteworthy) that, instead of being a hackneyed story about a loveable screw-up who eventually learns to wise up, this movie is about a genuinely good (albeit simpleminded) person who teaches others that kindness is more important than cleverness. Hence, instead of mocking (and thus devaluing) people like Ned, “Our Idiot Brother” celebrates a certain group of folks who are typically misunderstood or marginalized.
This, together with Ned’s infectious smile, makes “Our Idiot Brother” worth seeing.
Sunday, August 28, 2011
Thursday, August 4, 2011
"Crazy, Stupid, Love"
By Matt Duncan
Coastal View News
The once imperceptible dull ache of a dying marriage suddenly pulsates anew when Emily (Julianne Moore) tells her husband, Cal (Steve Carell), that she wants a divorce. Cal is dumbfounded. He doesn’t scream or cry. He doesn’t yell or argue. Cal just sits there silently—unresponsive, numb and confused.
Cal does not understand how the love of his life could leave him. But even more, Cal has no idea how a once vibrant relationship could slowly turn boring, dull and flat. Cal is completely at sea, and he is paralyzed by his ignorance. He can do nothing but sit alone at a bar muttering about his failed marriage.
Luckily, Jacob (Ryan Gosling) takes notice. Jacob is Cal’s foil. While Cal is dumpy and plain, Jacob is unmistakably handsome. Whereas Cal’s clothes are out of date and two sizes too big, Jacob’s style is immaculate and his wardrobe is impeccable. As Cal drowns his sorrows with a fruity cocktail, Jacob prowls the bar, martini in hand—the inveterate ladies man.
Maybe Jacob feels for Cal, or maybe he is just tired of seeing Cal mope around the bar, but one way or another, Jacob decides to help Cal turn his life around. He takes him to high-end clothing stores, helps him pick out pricey accessories, and teaches him how to make his ex-wife jealous by picking up beautiful women.
After a few hiccups, Cal manages to master Jacob’s trade. He trades in his middle-aged married lifestyle for the life of a bachelor, picking up plenty of gorgeous women in the process. Meanwhile, Jacob undergoes a transformation of his own. After meeting Hannah (Emma Stone), who is unlike the other women he tends to attract, Jacob considers retiring his chic shades and well-worn pickup lines in favor of something more stable.
As Cal and Jacob undergo these changes, and face the inevitable identity crises that ensue, they begin to consider what they really want in life. For Cal, he doesn’t know whether he wants to continue his new lifestyle or fight for the love and affection of his wife of so many years. Jacob, on the other hand, knows who he wants, but does not know how to abandon the life he once lived.
Each relationship in “Crazy, Stupid, Love” is believable and compelling. Nothing seems forced or manufactured. The attraction, interaction, irritation, disappointment, and the love all seem real. The actors deserve a lot of credit for this. Steve Carell is funny, but doesn’t taint the genuineness of his character by channeling Michael Scott or some other overwhelming personality. And Ryan Gosling is even better than Carell. He plays his part perfectly by being sleazy, but not so sleazy that you aren’t willing to love him in the end.
“Crazy, Stupid, Love” is an unconventional movie about love. For one thing, its aims go beyond cheap thrills and funny one-liners (though it has plenty of funny one-liners). It deftly examines the difficult choices and circumstances that surround, and sometimes inflict, one’s love life. Also, it does a good job of highlighting both the good and the bad—the inspiring and the ambiguous—aspects of romantic relationships. There is a refreshing honesty about this movie. More romantic comedies should be like “Crazy, Stupid, Love”.
Coastal View News
The once imperceptible dull ache of a dying marriage suddenly pulsates anew when Emily (Julianne Moore) tells her husband, Cal (Steve Carell), that she wants a divorce. Cal is dumbfounded. He doesn’t scream or cry. He doesn’t yell or argue. Cal just sits there silently—unresponsive, numb and confused.
Cal does not understand how the love of his life could leave him. But even more, Cal has no idea how a once vibrant relationship could slowly turn boring, dull and flat. Cal is completely at sea, and he is paralyzed by his ignorance. He can do nothing but sit alone at a bar muttering about his failed marriage.
Luckily, Jacob (Ryan Gosling) takes notice. Jacob is Cal’s foil. While Cal is dumpy and plain, Jacob is unmistakably handsome. Whereas Cal’s clothes are out of date and two sizes too big, Jacob’s style is immaculate and his wardrobe is impeccable. As Cal drowns his sorrows with a fruity cocktail, Jacob prowls the bar, martini in hand—the inveterate ladies man.
Maybe Jacob feels for Cal, or maybe he is just tired of seeing Cal mope around the bar, but one way or another, Jacob decides to help Cal turn his life around. He takes him to high-end clothing stores, helps him pick out pricey accessories, and teaches him how to make his ex-wife jealous by picking up beautiful women.
After a few hiccups, Cal manages to master Jacob’s trade. He trades in his middle-aged married lifestyle for the life of a bachelor, picking up plenty of gorgeous women in the process. Meanwhile, Jacob undergoes a transformation of his own. After meeting Hannah (Emma Stone), who is unlike the other women he tends to attract, Jacob considers retiring his chic shades and well-worn pickup lines in favor of something more stable.
As Cal and Jacob undergo these changes, and face the inevitable identity crises that ensue, they begin to consider what they really want in life. For Cal, he doesn’t know whether he wants to continue his new lifestyle or fight for the love and affection of his wife of so many years. Jacob, on the other hand, knows who he wants, but does not know how to abandon the life he once lived.
Each relationship in “Crazy, Stupid, Love” is believable and compelling. Nothing seems forced or manufactured. The attraction, interaction, irritation, disappointment, and the love all seem real. The actors deserve a lot of credit for this. Steve Carell is funny, but doesn’t taint the genuineness of his character by channeling Michael Scott or some other overwhelming personality. And Ryan Gosling is even better than Carell. He plays his part perfectly by being sleazy, but not so sleazy that you aren’t willing to love him in the end.
“Crazy, Stupid, Love” is an unconventional movie about love. For one thing, its aims go beyond cheap thrills and funny one-liners (though it has plenty of funny one-liners). It deftly examines the difficult choices and circumstances that surround, and sometimes inflict, one’s love life. Also, it does a good job of highlighting both the good and the bad—the inspiring and the ambiguous—aspects of romantic relationships. There is a refreshing honesty about this movie. More romantic comedies should be like “Crazy, Stupid, Love”.
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