80 Minutes
Directed By: Ryan Noel
Written By: Brett M. Butler and Ryan Noel
Staring: Ryan Noel, Simon L. Baker, Brett M. Butler, Jason M. Butler, and Mike Mackensie
Review:
This film immediately hits you with the perception that it’s going to be a little cheesy, but if you’re prepared for a parody then the mood and dialogue quickly begins to resonate. Over the years we’ve been subject to alot of parody flicks and I’m well known for disliking them due to unoriginal concepts and basically just poking fun at other films while failing to bring anything witty or new to the tables themselves. While the Newman Brothers doesn’t always succeed at being hilarious, it does at least bring something different and some ingenuity to the table.
The Notorious Newman Brothers is the tale of Paulie and Thunderclap, two brothers who claim to be mobsters. A thirty year old aspiring filmmaker who lives with his mom takes it upon himself to do a documentary on these notorious brothers, who are fresh out the prison, for,errrr murder in newly discovered degrees. The two “notorious” brothers soon begin to unveil their their true identities which is more or less aspiring Mob Kings. The wannabe Mafiosos try to intimidate Max into continuing their documentary even though he’s already clearly jaded by their lack of authenticity and more shenanigans ensue.
When the film takes this unanticipated twist the satirical humor rolls with it and the ridiculous nature of the predicament allows for some pretty terrific moments. While some of the scenes will have you laughing out loud, there are some are a lot of moments in between that will fall flat. The good definitely outweighs the bad and keeps the story on more of an up-tempo, helping it bring the finale without feeling like it dragged.
The acting has it’s moments. Some really good, some not so good, but Max, the documentary director, played by Ryan Noel is the highlight. Even though he’s not going to score an Oscar anytime soon. The taunting of his 
pedophile appearance and his tragically failing “incognito” looks are absolutely priceless. His life at home only furthers the joke, but the reusing of lines like “I had to admit, it turned me on” from Goodfellas , with a deadpan serious delivery was pure hysteria. The Brothers themselves were hit and miss, and didn’t always feel comfortable, but when they nailed a funny moment, it was generally pretty good.
The Notorious Newman Brothers is a fun parody about the Mob genre itself, and frankly it’s about time someone took some jests in it’s direction. While it does take it’s shots, it’s all clearly in good fun with a very light hearted sense of humor. For an Indie flick without the massive budget most comedies are afforded, this film proves that sometimes less is more. Without hiding behind effects and clever camera tricks there is nothing left but the imagination, the script, and the acting, and this film had a confidence in standing on it’s own in that capacity. This movie probably isn’t for everyone, and it has some lame moments, but overall I thought it was a lot of fun and even laughed out loud a few times and that’s rare for me.
See, I didn’t like Max and found the brothers to be more interesting. It’s a good effort though and I’d like to see Confusions of an Unmarried Couple which was written and directed by Brett and Jason Butler. I saw some reviews that had said it was better the the Newman Brothers.
I can see they have the comedy in them and I’d like to see some more of it.
Check out the trailers before we bust your kneecaps! Do it!
I thought it was funny reading your review and seeing what you liked was on the lesser end for me and on the better end for you. Comedy is so difficult and so incredibly subjective. What I was surprised in was my adamant dislike for parody’s and still liking this movie. It’s satire was spot on though, and I agree the brothers have a lot of potential. I’d be interested in seeing that flick if it’s rumored to be better than this as well.
I’m sorry, Heather. I agree with “Film Reel” on this one. I was digging the brothers more than Max. Max was screeching and whining. He got on my nerves. The video store scene was genius.
The ending was a big WTF for me. I liked it. It’s not the best movie ever, but worth your time.