Our Idiot Brother ***

"Our Idiot Brother" is humorous, touching, almost fable-like, in its study of the effect that an innocent can have on lives that are too caught up in the less than innocent schemes and posturings of every day life. Three very normal sisters, normal, that is, by contemporary middle-class American standards, deal with the trials and failings of their brother Ned, who is something of a throw-back to the 'sixties, a resolutely, nay, adamantly trusting soul. It's hard to imagine anyone else than Paul Rudd playing Ned. The child-like purity he projects rings true, and creates the perfect foil for the driving ambitions of his sisters, convincingly played by a trio of talented actresses: Elizabeth Banks, Zooey Deschanel, and Emily Mortimer. The extended family, from Mom to husbands, boyfriends, and girlfriends are sharply drawn, but quirky and real, while the villains are suitably one-dimensional, and more to be pitied for their lack of depth than hated. It's a sweet film that will excite laughter and a knowing smile or two.