OUR IDIOT BROTHER

Written by David Schisgall and Evgenia Peretz

Directed by Jesse Peretz

Starring Paul Rudd, Elizabeth Banks, Zooey Deschanel and Emily Mortimer

Ned: I like to think that if you put your trust out there, that if you really give people the benefit of the doubt, see their best intentions, people will rise to the occasion.

Paul Rudd is practically perfect as Ned, the title character in Jesse Peretz’s Sundance breakout, OUR IDIOT BROTHER. The ownership from the title belongs to a trio of sisters played by the lovely Elizabeth Banks, Zooey Deschanel and Emily Mortimer. Talent abounds in this quaint, little comedy but the performances are almost lost in the midst of this meandering plot. Fresh from a brief stint in prison for selling pot to a police officer, Ned bounces from sister to sister to sister and teaches each of them a little something about themselves while they let him crash on their couches. Unfortunately, despite all the experience and expertise between them, Rudd and company were not able to teach Peretz anything about structure and timing.

The trouble with OUR IDIOT BROTHER is that it is pretty obvious, or at least it was to me anyway, that Ned is most certainly not an idiot. Peretz goes out of his way to make him look like one during his arrest at the opening of the film. I mean, you have to be pretty darn stupid to sell drugs to a uniformed cop but that isn’t what I took from that scene. I couldn’t figure out why this seemingly good natured, friendly police officer was so hellbent on entrapping this harmless produce vendor. Perhaps Ned is the town dealer but Peretz doesn’t bother contextualizing that at all. Nor does he bother giving us any history on the sisters that shape the film for him. The result is a lot of caricature - from a workaholic to an unhappy housewife to a promiscuous free spirit afraid to commit - and not as much character as a result. The cast easily elevates the material but there is nothing they can do to mask how it will all play out. The question as to who is the real idiot among them is a no brainer from the start.

On the one hand, I commend the filmmaker for not taking the obvious road with OUR IDIOT BROTHER. Peretz could have easily played his game in perfectly constructed episodic segments. Each would establish the appropriate archetype for each sister and Ned would come in and tear it to pieces before anyone has the time to realize it was all for the best. Instead, Peretz tries his hardest to keep things loose and fluid, having Ned constantly moving and always taking us on the scenic route. Given that we end up exactly where we expected to all along though, it seems to me there must have been a more efficient way to get there. Maybe I’m too smart for my own good though.

CARS 2

Written by Ben Queen

Directed by John Lasseter

Voices by Larry the Cable Guy, Owen Wilson, Emily Mortimer

and Michael Caine

Luigi: No fight more important than firendship.

CARS 2 marks the first time where I could not care less about a Pixar release. I didn’t buy the world made up entirely of cars in the first instalment and thought the idea of a race-car learning to slow down in life to be pretty dull. Getting behind the wheel again was the last thing I wanted to do but I’m sure glad I did. CARS 2 is a ton more fun than its predecessor, as it follows the best thing about the first film, tow-truck, Mater (Larry the Cable Guy), through a mistaken identity spy caper. It never reaches the true greatness that most Pixar pictures achieve but by speeding up the action, Pixar revs up for some much-needed excitement for these former clunkers.

Lightning McQueen (Owen Wilson) is once again racing to prove something in CARS 2, in this case to prove his virility and quiet the taunts of another racer, Francesco Bernoulli (John Turturro). In a bold move on Pixar’s part though, McQueen’s brilliantly animated race around the world is downgraded to a secondary plot for the sequel. This allows us to tag along with Mater as he joins forces with Finn McMissile (Michael Caine) and Holley Shiftwell (Emily Mortimer) to take down a bunch of lemon cars determined to dissuade the world from using new forms of fuel. The lemons are in possession of an untapped oil reserve so alternative energy is their nemesis. All the while, Mater and McQueen’s friendship is tested when McQueen is embarrassed by Mater’s naïve antics. This in turn forces Mater to pop his own hood and look inside so that he can learn to love his own make and model. Good thing too because nobody likes an insecure car.

In many ways, director, John Lasseter (who directed the first CARS and the first two TOY STORY films) has dumbed down the CARS 2 to make it even more accessible. It is completely ludicrous when you piece the plot together but its simplicity allows for a more enjoyable time that I’m certain will get little boys everywhere clamouring for more car toys, especially now that the cars come with guns and missiles attached to them. That said, this is a movie populated with talking machinery so I’m not sure whether ridiculousness should even be a consideration here. As gimmicky and forced as the spy adventure spin is, it adds some serious traction to this budding franchise that should surely carry it safely over the finish line in first place.

Lars and the Real Girl

If Frank Capra ever made a movie about a delusional young man’s obsession with his anatomically correct blow up doll, it would be something like “Lars and the Real Girl” (2007). A sweet and charming movie (hey, it’s only rated PG-13), “Lars and the Real Girl” offers a community that likely would not exist in the real world, but I was more than happy to visit it in the movies.

Lars Lindstrom (Ryan Gosling) is a painfully shy young man who lives in the garage of the house he grew up in. His brother Gus (Paul Schneider) lives in the house with his wife Karen (Emily Mortimer) as they await the birth of their first child. Gus and Karen want Lars to move into the house with them (since the house is half his as well) but he is content to stay in the garage. Lars also continually refuses their invitation to dine with them. It’s obvious Lars loves his family, but he just wants to be left alone. He also has an aversion to being touched.

One day, a package for Lars arrives. That night Lars comes to the door to introduce his new girlfriend, Bianca, someone he met on the Internet, a girl who, Lars cautions, is very shy. Bianca turns out to be a blowup doll.

It sounds kind of kinky and sketchy, but it isn’t. Lars is a decent sort who just has problems relating to the world around him. A girl at his office named Margo (Kelli Garner) obviously likes Lars, but he seeks comfort in his relationship with Bianca.

The townspeople are very fond of Lars (he grew up there after all) and everyone decides to treat Bianca like a real person, including her in conversations, giving her flowers and encouraging her to attend School Board meetings.

Indie film favorite Patricia Clarkson appears as his doctor, who encourages Gus and Karen to let Lars work his way out of his delusion.

Gosling, one of our best young actors, is wonderful as Lars. He’s a decent man and you root for him to come to his senses. You can tell he doesn’t want to be a burden to anyone, and he’ll flash a quick shy smile before he says something. He’s a good guy.

You can see why Margo would fall for his essential kindness and decency. Garner is a real find. Very pretty in an odd, unconventional way, she makes a very appealing, small town girl type. I’m going to keep my eye out on her, as I thought she was absolutely wonderful.

Taken literally, “Lars and the Real Girl” would come off as silly, but the small town milieu is nicely handled, the characters are very likeable and I wanted everything to turn out OK for those characters. I wasn’t surprised that this movie earned a richly deserved Academy Award nomination for Best Original Screenplay. I liked it a lot.

Rating for “Lars and the Real Girl”: Three stars.