YOU CAN COUNT ON MEYOU CAN COUNT ON ME
The best explanation for this very good movie's startlingly
flat title is that it's meant to be taken both straight (about
Laura Linney's mostly reliable character Sammi) and tongue in
cheek (referring to Sammi's mostly unreliable brother, Terry,
played by Mark Ruffalo). Linney and Ruffalo are excellent, and
Rory Culkin buries all his older brother's film work as Sammi's
son Rudy. Lonergan's first film is small, simple, and sentimental--yet
always fresh and funny. Despite Linney's good work as concerned
sister and parent, antsy girlfriend (to Jon Tunney's dull character)
and as "other woman" to her married boss (Matthew Broderick),
Ruffalo's charming fuck-up Terry basically steals You Can Count
On Me, and his straight dope exchanges with Rudy feature most
of the movie's best moments.