She’s the object of their affections
The complex bonds of fraternal love get a major workout in “My Blind Brother,” a warm, multilayered, darkly funny film that finds wry slacker Bill (Nick Kroll) and his blind, golden boy-athlete brother, Robbie (Adam Scott), falling for the same woman: the endearingly conflicted Rose (Jenny Slate).
The beleaguered Bill, who’s long served as Robbie’s right-hand man, met Rose first, unbeknownst to the colossally self-involved Robbie. But Rose, reeling from the part she fears she played in the accidental death of her ex-boyfriend, is desperate to prove she’s a good person. So she volunteers to assist a blind man, who turns out to be Robbie.
Romance blooms and the guilt-laden Rose can’t say no to the dynamic Robbie. Meanwhile, Bill backs off from soulmate Rose — until he no longer can. Cue the battle of the bros.
Writer-director Sophie Goodhart, who based the film on her 2003 Palme d’Ornominated short, has crafted three cleverly flawed and dimensional lead characters, all vividly brought to life by their astute players.
Humor here, whether situational or emotionally based, proves a smart balance of grounded and loopy. Even the inevitable “blind people” jokes work to goodnaturedly amuse rather than offend.
The film’s third act, in which the layers of this bittersweet onion are stirringly peeled away, provides a deceptively slight tale with satisfying heft.
“My Blind Brother.” MPAA Rating: R, for language, some sexuality and drug use. Running time: 1 hour, 25 minutes. Playing: In limited release; also on VOD.