Jeff, Who Lives at Home – Tyneside Cinema, Newcastle.
Jeff, Who Lives At Home
For Jeff (Jason Segel), everything happens for a reason. The universe has a plan for all of us and he is just one man waiting to embark on his cosmic destiny. Unfortunately for him, this idea isn’t much comfort to his mother who has had enough of her thirty-year-old son still living in the basement.
Spending most of his days getting high and watching the M. Night Shyamalan film “Signs”, Jeff is waiting for just that; a sign – the first step out of the basement and towards his destiny. This comes when Jeff answer the phone to someone who has the wrong number looking for a man named Kevin. To anyone else wrong numbers happen all the time, but to Jeff, fate is starting its engine.
After reaching the breaking point of her frustration, Jeff’s mother (Susan Surandon) calls upon the help of her older son Pat (Ed Helms) to help straighten the slacker out. Pat’s doing well in life – he’s just bought a Porsche after all – but after bumping into his brother during a convenient set of events, the two work together to track down and expose Pat’s potentially adulterous wife.
Performances from Segel and Helms are top notch throughout, and are ramped up even further thanks to a strong script and some genuinely emotional scenes. It is perhaps worth saying now that Jeff, Who Lives at Home is a lot heavier on the heartstrings than it is tickling your funny bone. The duo put in performances you’ve come to expect from their previous work; Segel’s usual boyish charm is set to maximum and Helms is a pent up volcano of frustration.
If you’re looking for laughs you could be a bit disappointed you’re not getting more out of these renowned comedy stars. The highlights come mostly from the nuances in the chemistry Segel and Helms share as they bicker and butt heads over their polar opposite ways of thinking. There are a few great scenes where we watch Segel bumble along, trying to break down a hotel room door; or Helms explode with rage as unfortunate circumstances befall his Porsche. Other than that, the film is fairly low on comedic set pieces and is more focused on the duo flexing their serious acting muscles and sharing some genuinely moving scenes together. A scene where the two stop at their dad’s grave is particularly touching.
Thankfully, the film reaches a satisfying conclusion. And while it may not shake the foundations of storytelling, or present the most memorable characters in the world, Jeff, Who Lives at Home leaves an inescapable smile on your face, and a feeling of satisfaction in the knowledge that you followed the journey destiny had in store for Jeff.
Jeff, Who Lives at Home is currently running at the Tyneside Cinema in Newcastle. For details, see: www.tynesidecinema.co.uk
