Lesson 1 from the sterling road comedy "The Puffy Chair": Don't buy furniture from shady eBay vendors.
Lesson 2: Remember the Duplass brothers, writer Mark and director Jay. They seem to be imbued with the talents of the top moviemaking brother acts: the zaniness of the Coens, the insight of the Wachowskis and the comedic spark of the Farrellys.
The Duplasses' debut feature sinks to the depths of young-adult ennui, where it finds limitless nuggets of often painful and poignant humor. Shot digitally for a rough-hewn documentary feel, the film plays like cobbled-together home movies.
The cast is effortlessly naturalistic, with performances that come straight from the gut and hit you in yours.
The story centers on a tempestuous relationship between Josh (Mark Duplass) and Emily (Kathryn Aselton), who have been together for years with no plans of taking it to the next level. This is fine with Josh, a childlike former musician who has segued half-heartedly into music promotion, but it doesn't sit well with Emily.
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Josh, who addresses Emily as "dude," has gotta drive from Brooklyn to Atlanta to go get the puffy chair he bought on eBay as a birthday gift for his dad. Emily isn't comfortable with the trip but whines her way into being asked along. They're joined on the road by Josh's flighty brother, Rhett (Rhett Wilkins), whom even Josh considers childish.
The film's off-kilter vibe emits from Josh, the walled-off, late-20s-slacker type who uses nihilism as an umbrella to take cover from increasingly prevalent signs of mortality.
Issues that may have others his age tearing out their gel-slicked hair late at night — a failed career with few prospects and a gnawing sense of uncertainty at his decaying long-term relationship — roll off Josh's slouched shoulders.
One of the only times he shows some focus and gumption is when he tries to scheme a way into paying $10 for a single-occupancy motel room.
With a playful roll of the eyes, Emily endures Josh's stunts, which she finds amusing on one level while tiresome on another. Aselton, an immense, underused talent who screams for a high-profile project, nails the beleaguered girlfriend act with authority, drowning in self-doubt and uncertainty.
She tries to drum up enough assertiveness so that Josh commits to her more fully, while fearing she'll drive him away. But Josh is an expert spin-doctor capable of brushing aside serious conversations.
Add in the expected brother-brother bickering, and you've got a rickety travel party that's always good for laughs and wincing awkwardness.
The bumpy road leads to a climactic reckoning, a moment of stirring poignancy that hits even harder than the humor.
"The Puffy Chair" could leave you with puffy eyes.
Phil's review
The Puffy Chair
***1/2
Rated: R for language
Cast: Mark Duplass, Kathryn Aselton, Rhett Wilkins, Julie Fischer
Director: Jay Duplass
Family call: Deals with adult themes.
Running time: 85 minutes
Opens Friday at: The Loft
