The Puffy Chair

I was lucky enough to see "The Puffy Chair" at Sundance this year, I had to fight for a seat and it was worth it. The movie is explores two relationships, one between two brothers and another between one of the brothers and his girlfriend. The characters are right out of life, totally real and funny. The directing and acting is excellent and it never misses an opportunity to sharpen the portrait of these muddled angels. The Chair in the title refers to a gift for the brothers' father that becomes a catalyst for not only the road trip that forms the spine of this excellent film, but inflames all the character's flaws and passions to hilarious dénouement. More than once I heard people saying that there were scenes out of their own lives on the screen in the "Puffy Chair"; I wish that we could all see ourselves as precisely and humorously as the Duplass brothers do. I eagerly look forward to their next project.

I liked this film but I wanted more puffy chair. More pound for your puff, if you will. The chair is in effect a character in this film. It's puffy and cool, and I wanted way more of it. Most, if not all, of this film is improvisational dialogue. I would bet on it. Some of it works, some doesn't, often times it calls attention to itself, that's not cool, but the chair is a silent character and he speaks for himself. Yes, I think the chair is a "he." The chair is the glue that holds the film together. The chair is the raison d'etre for the road trip. I craved more scenes with the chair. The scenes wouldn't have to be much, just some occasional short scenes with the chair to chart his progress. It would help. Thank you.

I saw "The Puffy Chair" at South by Southwest, and it is an excellent film. It is genuine, thoughtful, and alternately hilarious and melancholy. It deserves to be the new "Garden State."

The movie's premise is simple: Josh and his girlfriend Emily go on a road-trip to pick up an old puffy recliner that Josh won on ebay and bring it to his dad for his birthday. Along the way, they stop to visit brother, a well-meaning but slightly insane lover of all things - especially nature and women - who ends up tagging along. One of the funniest scenes in the movie occurs when the three attempt to stay at a motel in Virginia but only pay for one person to save ten bucks; the ridiculous scheming (which of course backfires) to save a few bucks is on par with any of George Costanza's finest moments. The exchanges between brothers remind me of my banter with my own siblings, and the relationship that Josh and Emily have feels both unique and universal. The direction and and hand-held camera work give the film a documentary feel that really works well, and the music blends well with what is going on. The director and screenwriter used their low budget to great advantage, keeping things totally authentic; eliminating the documentary-style camera and getting rid of the improvisation would have ruined the mood of the movie.

Overall, the film moves seamlessly from comedy to melancholy and from jubilant romantic beginnings to bittersweet possible endings. If you get a chance to see this flick, give it a try: it's short and sweet, but it will stay with you for a while.

THE PUFFY CHAIR is a nostalgic journey of the heart. Mark Duplass' characters take you along this funny yet painfully true adventure of love and self discovery. The entire cast is to be commended for such natural and endearing moments. Although Julie Fischer is not a main character, her beauty and aura make her scenes glow. Mark Duplass and Kathryn Aselton play wonderfully off each other, throwing tension back and forth like a stick of dynamite. And Rhett Jordan adds harmony, playing the irresistible goofy sibling. Jay Duplass perfectly sets the film's mood and pace with some shots that took my breath away and made me ache for simpler times. I look forward to future projects by the talented Duplass Brothers but THE PUFFY CHAIR deserves to be seen by a larger audience. So go out and find it.

The setup of this movie is pretty straight forward and it delivers a few jabs more than you would expect. What I like about this movie is how it elevated itself from a presumably mundane flick to a decent watch that will have you nodding at the craftsmanship of the script and the evolution of the characters.

Shot in the renegade fashion of hand-held camera – the TV show, The Office would probably be the most accessible example – this film feels like what you'd probably imagine seeing if the story was relayed to you by one of the characters. This adds to the mood of the movie as well, wherein it doesn't feel serious and allows the viewer to relax and take it as it comes. The movie follows Josh, a booking agent for unknown bands, who wants to do something for his father's birthday in the vein of getting him a piece of childhood nostalgia- a puffy red chair. After igniting some angst, Josh decides to take his girlfriend, Emily along for the road trip. More characters join in and we get introduced to Rhett, the very 'dudeish' and oddly existential younger brother of Josh as he becomes the inevitable third wheel on the trip.

The chair was to be picked up from a furniture store owner and ultimately throws a wrench in Josh's plans as the guy fails to deliver, imposing an unplanned stay in the surrounding town and a bit of tyranny on Josh's behalf. This kicks off a bit of character development as we see tension tighten with Josh and Emily, as far as their relationship goes, and we see just how free-willed Rhett is as he hooks up with a girl, Amber (Julie Fischer) from the town. The lighting on Josh places him as an average guy, I guess, finding himself in a relationship that he only seems to take seriously when pressed with, 'the talk'. Likewise, Emily seems to be at that point in her life where she wants to take more steps as opposed to the flippant, casual ideal that Josh appears to have. Rhett, on the other hand is impulsive and unattached, seeming to just want to experience life rather than adhere to a schedule, much like a light version of his brother. I enjoyed how the relationships panned themselves out as it gave you both the fishbowl perspective from both sides of the glass, be it a personal experience or one you just know about.

It's not really an essential film to watch but it does have its unique qualities and offers a quaint take on how people handle pressure and life variables. I give Josh Duplass credit for the way the movie unraveled and the way it held both predictability and that little nudge to want to see it to the end.

Standout Line: "What you're probably doing is waiting for something real good or real bad to happen to make the decision for you and you're not gonna get that break, it never happens"