Review of Jeff, Who Lives at Home (2012) by Michael V — 05 Aug 2012

This is my kind of movie - engaging, interesting actors playing more-or-less realistic characters in a movie that knows the power of small moments. There is just enough plot to give the characters reasons to interact, reveal themselves, and make small progress in their lives.

This could be called a family drama, as the three central characters are two brothers and their mother. Each of the three is stuck in some way in their life and through a series of coincidences, each one gets a little bit unstuck over the course of one unusual day.

The are some similarities to Lars and the Real Girl, in that these two brothers - one a hypersensitive misfit - were shaped by the loss of their father in their early lives and had very little connection to each other until the circumstances of the movie bring them to spend time together resulting in positive changes for both.

The comedy fits comfortably within each scene and the pathos builds gradually through the intersection of each character's backstory with the events of the day. The movie doesn't try too hard to be entertaining, rather it follows its characters in an unhurried build of existential grappling that I imagine would be relatable to any viewer.

The plot is built on coincidences, which is usually a bad "sign", but in this case it is central to the main character, Jeff, an apparently aimless stoner, who is striving to be open to discovering his purpose and destiny.

The fact that he reflects deeply on the horrible M, Night Shyamalan film, Signs, as a guiding example is funny and pathetic at the same time yet provides a springboard (excuse?) for the plot and really, makes the entire movie work.