Movie Review: The Notorious Newman Brothers

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The Notorious Newman Brothers (2009)

My favorite Canadian indie brewers, the Butler Brothers, are back, this time in a feature directed by Ryan Noel (the composer on their last picture) and co-written by los hermanos Butler and Noel.

And, yes, it’s funny.

The Notorious Newman Brothers follows Max (Noel) a filmmaker whose combination of desperation, ineptitude, and general lack of confidence results in him taking out a classified ad to find subjects for a documentary. And who comes a-callin’? Paulie (Jason Butler) and Thunderclap (Brett Butler) Newman, two toughs who are as bad at being gangsters as Max is at being a director.

That’s enough of a plot description because the real fun in The Notorious Newman Brothers is in watching the three actors deliver improvised banter–even when it’s not perfect–rather than seeing the story progress. Just like the Apatow gang, the Butlers and Noel have a crude charm and a great chemistry that make this flick a joy to watch.

Noel’s first effort as a director is solid, but it’s his composition work here, like his music in the Butler’s Confusions of an Unmarried Couple, that stands out. While the mockumentary/satire/homage to gangster films is the starting point for the humor, Noel’s music adds a much needed comedic layer when the improvisation goes bad or we need a segue into the next comedic moment. It’s what revs the engine of a film that occasionally sputters.

Noel and the Butlers work great together, going two for two with Confusions and now Newman Brothers. Don’t pass up the chance to see Newman Brothers if it makes it to a festival near you.

The Notorious Newman Brothers screens at the Outhouse Film Festival in Baton Rouge on March 28, 2009. Find out more at myspace.com/thenotoriousnewmanbros.