One savvy ‘Idiot’

Filmmaker Jesse Peretz’s Sundance hit would’ve probably been disappointing if it were anybody but Paul Rudd playing “Our Idiot Brother,” but since the actor’s blend of sincere charm and idiocy is so spot-on, it makes for a lovable flick. As the titular hippie screw-up sibling who gets out of jail (only to unintentionally start ruining his sisters’ lives), Rudd plays the character straight, giving what could’ve been oversold slapstick a sense of easy-to-swallow sentimentality.