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Jeff Who Lives At Home is the new movie from the Duplass brothers, the designated drivers of the Mumblecore movement, and it succeeds in delivering an emotionally rewarding cinematic journey.
The film opens with Jeff, aged 30 and living in his mother’s basement, smoking a huge purple bong and pondering the meaning of life after watching the M Night Shyamalan alien invasion thriller Signs for the fourth time.
He is clearly suffering from an existential funk.
But the mop-haired philosopher believes his destiny will come calling and it arrives in the shape of an aggressive telephone conversation from a man asking for ‘Kevin…’ who won’t accept that Jeff doesn’t know what he’s talking about.
Not just a wrong number? After some pondering and cheese sandwich eating, Jeff spends the rest of the movie seeking signs of the mysterious Kevin, who he hopes will bring the meaning to life, he so desperately seeks.
When Jeff goes missing after being mugged by a street baller called Kevin – his mom calls his borther Pat and asks him to track him down.
By a bizarre twist of fate – at that very moment he sees Jeff drift past the window of Hooters in a daze and their incredible adventure of understanding begins.
Susan Sarandon plays the widowed mother of the brothers, who is struggling to help them realise their potential in the world and that they have a loyal friend and love for each other.
While on their travels, Jeff and Pat see his wife with another man and they secretly follow them to find out what’s going on, as the Porsche driving Pat also starts to realise he needs to wake up to his life.
Both brothers share a dream about their dad, in which he asks the question: “What’s the greatest day in the history of the world?” The answer is… “Today.”
Part of the movie’s success is the depth and feeling Jason Segel brings to the title role. The Muppets Movie star is one of the most affable actors in Hollywood today and his big, friendly puppy dog eyes win you over to his stoner quest.
Ed Helms also gives a stand out performance and the comedy, written and directed by Jay and Mark Duplass, truly leaves the audience with a lasting emotional uplift for their investment in the story and characters.
Watch it on the big screen, while you have the chance…
check out this week’s FACT Liverpool cinema times: http://www.fact.co.uk/whats-on