Jeff, Who Lives At Home

I'm not the biggest fan of surprises. I don't really know why, but I always fear the worst. The telephone rings after 8.00pm? Someone's died. Those two people whispering? They're talking about me. Those presents hidden in a cupboard? All from Poundland. That knock at the door? An axe murderer. But every now and then, a surprise comes along which is genuinely...well, surprising. This week, that surprise was Jeff, Who Lives At Home.

I went along to a preview screening of Jeff, Who Lives At Home, the latest film from the Duplass brothers, not expecting much. Actually, I'd psyched myself up to laugh as little as possible as the trailer made the film look rather dull and unfunny. Starring Jason Segel, Ed Helms and Susan Sarandon, the film follows Jeff, a lazy thirty-something pothead who lives in his mother's basement and generally does as much as your average uni student – i.e. not a lot. Despatched by his mother to buy some wood glue and fix a shutter, Jeff bumps into his brother as he tracks his wife who is possibly having an affair. Doesn't sound like much, but then again, you haven't met Jeff.

Jeff (Segel) is a philosophical kind of chap, with an obsession for the film Signs and a generally positive outlook on life. He isn't the sharpest of tools in the box and, to begin with, is rather annoying (if slightly funny). Waiting to find his destiny and having driven his mother to distraction with his refusal to make something of his life, Jeff is a complex character. At first, I felt it difficult to empathise with someone who has as much common sense as a stick of celery but, as the film progressed, I – along with the rest of the audience – began to warm to him. Segel's performance is pitched at just the right level, balancing humour and emotion with an apparent effortlessness which allowed the character of Jeff to develop over the course of the film. Helms as the less-than-understanding brother pulls of a competent performance, but the star of the film has to be their mother, played by Sarandon. Her perceptive and dynamic portrayal of a woman struggling with her relationships with her sons was unforced and a joy to watch. Shot in a pseudo-documentary style (which was rather uninspiring), the setting of suburban America perfectly reflected the banality of the characters' lives and yet was slightly ironic, given the existential theme of the film. Then again, it's not as ironic as McDonald's being the Official Restaurant of the 2012 Olympics.

A film of two halves would be the most appropriate way to describe the script which you would have thought had been written by two people...until you realise that it has. The first half of the film seems to have most of the gags, most of which raised a smile but little else. The second half, however, was where the magic happened. After lingering shots of waves, waterfall photos and birds in flight, I was slightly concerned that the dialogue would slip over into a pit of existential nonsense, the kind of which would appeal to anyone who wears a bow tie in everyday life. But, luckily (or perhaps skilfully), the Duplass brothers held it together and the second half was a really enjoyable experience. Jeff's naïve but truthful dialogue perfectly reflected the thoughts of other characters and really enhanced the message of the film: your destiny is whatever you want it to be. The denouement, although slightly clichéd, moved me and I felt that the film was genuine and good-natured in its intentions. In no way is this film a standard comedy. In many ways, the comedy took a sideline and was dominated by the drama.

Jeff, Who Lives At Home was a real surprise for me – and a good one at that. It's an affecting, genuine and charming little film which, despite its short running time of 83 minutes, manages to say so much. Catch it if you can, preferably when Jeff's at home.

Clapperboard Rating: * * * *

Jeff, Who Lives At Home is released nationwide 11^th May.