I use the IdeaVIM plugin. I do "vib" (visual inside braces) to select everything within the parentheses. Added benefit of it works in lots of other places as well (terminal etc).
Yes, vim does has something similar. One advantage the IDE's implementation has is that the user doesn't have to explicitly specify the constructs --- it doesn't have to be parentheses or a word, but any construct that "wraps around" the cursor; so it's less effort for the mind.