"Our Idiot Brother"
Richard's Review: 3 1/2 stars
The title is a bit of a misnomer because the brother in question isn't exactly an idiot. He's more a trusting soul who naive ways get him, and those around him, in trouble.
Paul Rudd plays Ned, a Mr. Nice Guy unsuited for life outside of his organic farm. Imagine R. Crumb's Mr. Natural and you'll get the picture. When he innocently sells marijuana to a uniformed policeman he is arrested and thrown in jail. His good nature stands him well in jail, where he earns an early release -- he won Most Cooperative four months running.
Unfortunately in his absence his hippie girlfriend found a new boyfriend and has decided that Willie Nelson, Ned's beloved dog, is better off with her than with him. His three sisters (Elizabeth Banks, Zooey Dechanel and Emily Mortimer) take turns putting a roof over his head, but in each case his willingness to believe the best in people causes chaos.
"Our Idiot Brother" is a low-key indie comedy with a much different feel from the movies that made Rudd famous. His Apatow years have been spent doing broad comedy in movies like "Anchorman: The Legend of Ron Burgundy," "The 40 Year Old Virgin" and "Knocked Up" but this is more character-based -- and less funny.
There are laughs here, but instead of going for the jokes Rudd is concentrating on playing his character and allowing the humor to flow naturally from him and the situations. The result is a character-driven comedy with a lot of compassion and some very good supporting performances from the women playing his sisters.
Banks, Dechanel and Mortimer each bring a different flavour to their roles. Banks is a driven writer with sketchy ethics, Dechanel a free-ish spirit with commitment issues while Mortimer plays a mousy mom. They all stand in stark contrast to the innocence of their brother but their presence buoys, and gives heart to, the film's family-first message.
"Our Idiot Brother" is a likeable comedy elevated by a strong cast who bring empathy to characters who, in less experienced hands, might not have had any.
"Don't Be Afraid of the Dark"
Richard's Review: 2 1/2 stars
"Don't be Afraid of the Dark," a reimagining of the scary 1973 TV movie of the same name, is a modern day gothic horror produced by shock maestro Guillermo del Toro. Set in Rhode Island it features things that go bump in the night, lots of shadows, mysterious voices, a creepy kid and even creepier little creatures.
Blackwood Manor, a stately old house where years earlier a famous painter had lost his son and mysteriously disappeared, is now the property of an ambitious designer (Guy Pearce) who is restoring the home in hopes of landing the cover of Architectural Digest. Instead his young daughter awakens some mysterious creepy-crawlies with a taste for little girls.
"Don't be Afraid of the Dark" has a slow build to an exciting climax. The opening hour is chock-a-block with atmosphere and the hallmarks of gothic horror -- like a groundskeeper who knows more than he is letting on, mysterious voices and hidden chambers -- but is light on action. It plays like a family drama -- the youngster is collateral damage in a nasty breakup between Pearce and his ex-wife -- as seen through the lens of a genre filmmaker.
Mostly the first hour is Bailee Madison, as the young girl the little beasties find so appealing, alternatively acting out, whimpering or staring blankly in the age old creepy-kid horror film tradition.
It all leads to a satisfying climax, however, featuring swarms of cool creatures and enough ferocious fun to make the slow start worthwhile.
"The Guard"
Richard's Review: 4 1/2 stars
The synopsis of "The Guard" reads like a standard police procedural. Renegade cop finds dead body, the FBI gets involved. Throw in some deadly drug smugglers and you have a Steven Seagal movie. Except this time you don't. This time you have one of the most unexpectedly delightful movies of the year.
Brendan Gleeson (probably best known as Alastor "Mad-Eye" Moody in the Harry Potter series) is Sergeant Gerry Boyle, a small town West Ireland cop. He's the opposite of a by-the-book policeman. In fact he's more interested in escorts, pilfering LSD from traffic victims and drinking beer at the local pub than he is in the drug ring that has landed in his village. Or at least that's how it seems to FBI agent Wendell Everett (Don Cheadle) who comes to town to bring down the drug cartel.
Despite having all the earmarks of a cop fish-out-of-water picture "The Guard," by virtue of its setting and Gleeson's central performance, is anything but. The bucolic Irish countryside location gives the movie a chance to establish a fresh setting, unfamiliar to most viewers, far from the city streets where most cop dramas are placed.
Then there is Gleeson, the real reason to see the movie. He's an Irish Columbo, under estimated by everyone around him until the chips are down. It's a complex performance, amusing on the surface, but rich with pathos as Boyle's life is slowly revealed. He's brilliant but unhappy, a man mired in existentialist muck as only someone who has read all the Russian classics can be. (Did I mention he and his cancer ridden mom, played by the amazing Fionnula Flanagan, quote the Russian masters?)
"The Guard" is 100 per cent Gleeson's movie. The open-ended story leaves room for the possibility of a sequel, and for once I hope they continue the story. Boyle is a character I'd like to see more of.
