This review by Kevin Gant, Guitar Poet and Subject of Jay Duplass Documentary “Kevin”
When it comes to The Duplass Brothers, I’m hopelessly and forever biased. I purchased “The Puffy Chair” in 2007 and applauded as soon as my DVD player loaded. The plot could have been about a cat drinking coffee and I would have absolutely loved it. In 2008, I saw “Baghead” at The Dobie Theatre in Austin and there that same feline was, nestled in my lap, lapping up a double espresso
Then came Cyrus. We’ve all seen John C. Reilly, Marisa Tomei, and Jonah Hill in movies, but seeing them together in Cyrus, I realized the Duplass Brothers are up to something very different and never before seen in Hollywood. The Duplass Brothers direct films with truth seeking lenses and as their resume grows, audiences and well known actors alike, are becoming increasingly more involved in their subtle, unique process of seeking Truth. So, what is Truth?
In “Jeff Who Lives At Home”, Jeff (Jason Segel) is a thirty something year old stoner, still living at home and seeking Truth from his Mother’s (Susan Sarandon) basement. Convinced that we’re all connected and everything happens for a reason, he receives an amazing burst of life purpose, in the form of an errant call to his cell phone. Once Jeff leaves his Mom’s basement, fixates on the name Kevin, and connects with his brother (Ed Helms), nothing in his family’s life will ever be the same. The movie is genuinely entertaining, good paced, fun, and interestingly, I could tell that the entire cast, rounded out by Judy Greer, Rae Dawn Chong, and Steve Zissis, were having fun as well, right there in the theatre, just being themselves. And, that’s exactly what Mark and Jay are doing, Just being themselves.
The Duplass Brothers are intelligent, immensely creative, and solely focused on the process of making good, honest movies their own way. “Jeff Who Lives At Home” celebrates the reality that they will be making good, honest movies for a long time, and that’s Truth.
You can watch the trailer here.
