Jeff, a 30 year old who still lives at home with his mother, is somewhat of a dreamer, unsure of where he fits into the grand scheme of things. While running an errand to buy some glue, Jeff sees things which he attributes as "signs of the universe" sending him on an unexpected adventure where he crosses paths which his brother, Pat, who he rarely sees. Jeff, Who Lives at Home, the latest film by the Duplass brothers is definitely one of their stronger efforts to date, though for me, that isn't saying much. The film is essentially about the nature of our universe and how one needs to both except what you can and cannot control, as well as embracing what really matters. Jeff the "everything happens for a reason" protagonist and his brother, Pat, the narcissist, serve a purpose but this is a film that's message is sincere but not very profound and really kinda childish in its optimism.. I appreciate this "Everything happens for a reason" worldview but isn't that just too easy? What about all the problems that Linda still has with her husband, Pat? Oh, it's ok cause "He want's to love her again", Are we supposed to simply say, OK, well it will definitely work out then. I've just seen this type of thing done far better in other films, but given that fact, this is a well paced story that is sweet, gentle and easily digestible. The Duplass inability to form any type of aesthetic above the abilities of a 5-year old is very present with quick zooms and camera movements that are both horribly unmotivated, distracting and quite frankly nauseating. All the negatives aside, I am a sucker for Jason Segel, who really brings a perfect combination of fragility and faith to his role. Really, he is by far the most interesting and redeeming quality of this film, as Judy Greer isn't given much in her role as Pat's wife and Susan Sarandon's sub-plot is rather unneccesary and even borderline laughable, never feeling part of the central story arch. The whole experience is warm and gentle much like our protagonist but because of this, most of the drama falls flat when it comes to eliciting emotion from the viewer. 6/10
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AuthorLove of all things cinema brought me here. Archives
June 2023
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