Jeff, Who Lives at Home

My relationship with my younger brother is unlike any other. We two have a unique understanding of each other that I can't duplicate with any friend or family member. Do we love hanging out? Yes. Do we know each other's darkest secrets? Not really, but we can guess what's bugging the other one with amazing accuracy. We love each other, but do we drive each other crazy? Absolutely. I've never seen a movie like this one; one that capture "brotherdom" so accurately. Jeff (Jason Segel) is lost, plain and simple. He's unemployed, living in his mom's basement, and obsesses over the movie Signs. After getting a wrong number asking for "Kevin," the gullible and conflict-avoiding Jeff decides that's his sign, and journeys out to find it. Meanwhile, Jeff's lonely and bored mom (Susan Sarandon) asks his brother Pat (Ed Helms) to rescue his sibling from himself. Pat is hardly the right choice for this, as he is selfish, mean, and driving his wife (Judy Greer) away. Now they all have to find their path back. I really do love Jason Segel. He's a fantastic comedian, an extremely talented writer, and a really good actor overall. He also manages to be very comforting on screen. There's just something super charming and friendly about him that I really like. Especially in this film, where he isn't a sexual deviant or a puppeteer songwriter, it's amazing how he draws the audience's interest and sympathy. Jeff is a great character that anybody who has ever felt depressed can relate to. Of course, Ed Helms, Susan Sarandon, Judy Greer, and even Rae Dawn Chong are all great. The characters are really done well, which is important because they're the fabric of the film. But as I said earlier, the real uncanny for me was how realistic the interactions between Jeff and Pat are. Seriously, there were moments where the two argued and I gasped. The writing, direction, and the acting in these scenes reminded me of real life and made e rethink some stuff. And even though there were some moments where the pacing had some issues, I enjoyed myself throughout. Jay and Mark Duplass are very talented, but they must've had a weird childhood. Both Jeff Who lives at home and their previous film Cyrus deal with kidulthood, purpose, and single, overprotective mothers. While both films are quite different, the themes are there and very prominent. But the Duplasses always do it so well I shouldn't criticize. Jeff Who Lives at Home is a thoughtful, sad, funny, and moving film about stuck in a rut. It isn't so much a character piece as a family one, and anyone with siblings should definitely see it.