by Eric Matthew Harvey

© 2007 Screen Gems (Sony)

Release Date: September 7th, 2007Cast: Bob Odenkirk, Will Arnett, Will Forte, Chi McBride, Malin Akerman, Kristin WiigRating: RStudio: SonyRunning Time: 91 minutes

Sometimes I’m not paying attention. THE BROTHERS SOLOMON sneaked into theaters last weekend and I thought it was the new Farrelly Brothers movie. That’s pretty bad for a guy who writes movie reviews. When I saw how bad this bombed, it peaked my interest. Lo and behold, I find out that it’s a new comedy directed by Bob Odenkirk (MR. SHOW, LET’S GO TO PRISON).

LET’S GO TO PRISON was an odd film, one of those comedies that most passive moviegoers would call “offbeat” or “unnervingly stupid”. It definitely was the sort of humor I expected from Odenkirk though I couldn’t believe that it was released to theaters. Enjoyable as it was, it’s definitely not the type of comedy that’s in vogue today (see Judd Apatow). After watching THE BROTHERS SOLOMON, and it’s subsequent tanking, I doubt you will see another Odenkirk-style comedy make it’s way to theaters, which is a shame, because THE BROTHERS SOLOMON may be the best comedy of the year.

Dean (Will Forte) and John Solomon (Will Arnett) are two bachelor brothers raised and home schooled by their widowed dad (Lee Majors) in Antarctica. Due to the lack of social interaction in their youth, the brothers have become hopeless losers, buoyed in life by the naÔve optimism hammered into them by their father. After their dad goes into a coma, the ER doctor explains that Dad expressed a regret that he never had a grandson. Our loser protagonists decide to change that in hoping it might revive dear old dad and head over to craigslist to find a surrogate mother (Kristen Wiig).

That’s the premise of THE BROTHERS SOLOMON and rather than being a vulgar, on the nose comedy, the laughs are subtle and come quite often. Matter of fact, I was chuckling from beginning to end. Chuckling. Not belly laughs, not “I can’t believe they did that” laughs, but good-natured chuckling that was honestly earned by the film, which is a neat and rare experience.

The film has a game supporting cast including PRISON alum Chi McBride, Wiig (SNL) and Malin Akerman (HAROLD & KUMAR GO TO WHITE CASTLE). Lee Majors literally phones this one in as the most lines he’s given is the explanation in the beginning on an answering machine on why he’s in the hospital. For the rest of the movie, he’s in a coma in the brothers’ living room.

It’s also a comedy with a lot on its mind. The film obviously has a negative view towards home schooling and its social implications, it seems to laugh at the expense of same sex couples seeking adoption as well as treating interracial relationships as a normal thing, which is pretty good in my opinion. That’s a lot of underlying social comedy for a movie that has a running gag with dead birds in popcorn.

The film derives the majority of its humor from awkwardness and uncomfortable situations and plays them to the hilt. It’s sort of like last week’s SHOOT ‘EM UP substituting ridiculous action for strange, purposely unfunny comedy.

Odenkirk is not a master stylist, but understands what is needed here is straight ahead camera work with an eye towards how the film will be edited, which is one of the film’s strongest points. Much of the comedy is in the editing as well as Arnett (ARRESTED DEVELOPMENT) and Forte’s turns as annoying dimwits you can’t get mad at. The script, written by Forte (SNL, BEERFEST), knowingly ridicules the sappy dramedies of family life and baby making, but one could assume by the outtakes at the end that a lot of improv was used. One of my only other complaints is that structure wise (especially the ending) is very similar to PRISON, which possibly shows Odenkirk as one of those new directors who makes the same movie over and over again

THE BROTHERS SOLOMON is a fun film but one that should’ve been a Showtime movie or a straight to video release. It’s too urbane for the masses and not cynical enough for the art house crowd to justify striking prints and advertising. I do predict that THE BROTHERS SOLOMON will find its audience on DVD and cable where repeat viewings will fully cement my view of it becoming an off-kilter cult phenom.