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USA, 2011, 83 Minute Running Time Genre/Subjects: American Indie, Comedy Programs: Contemporary World Cinema, Special PresentationsLanguage: English
DIRECTOR: Jay Duplass, Mark Duplass Producer: Lianne Halfon, Jason Reitman, Russell SmithEditor: Jay DeubyScreenwriter: Jay Duplass, Mark DuplassCinematographer: Jas SheltonPrincipal Cast: Jason Segel, Susan Sarandon, Judy Greer, Ed Helms
New Orleans–born brothers Jay and Mark Duplass, who’ve been associated with the so-called mumblecore movement in American independent film, take a couple of steps toward the mainstream in their fourth feature. But the edge is still visible (as it was in their last effort, Cyrus). Set up the road from the Big Easy in Baton Rouge, this offbeat comedy focuses on a pair of mismatched brothers who find themselves playing amateur detective games when they suspect one brother's wife of cheating on him. Sam Spade is in no danger of losing his job.
The stoner brother of the title (Jason Segel) spends his days in Mom's basement, smoking pot, watching endless reruns of M. Night Shylaman's Signs and speculating, with no great rigor, on What Life Really Means. The more prosperous and accomplished brother, Pat (Ed Helms), favors new Porsches and midday cocktails at Hooters. His marriage is failing, but it isn't until he spots his wife, Linda (Judy Greer), at lunch with another man that he decides to do something about it.
The siblings' gumshoe adventure is spiked with comic mishaps, of course, as the brothers' separate personal crises collide. The comic chemistry between Segel and Helms proves to be just right, but that wily old veteran Susan Sarandon steals some of their thunder with her vivid portrayal of Mom—especially after she starts getting flirtatious messages from someone at work. This may the closest thing to a studio picture the Duplass brothers have made, but the raw spirit that drives their imagination isn’t under wraps just yet. —BILL GALLO Sponsored by Eldorado Natural Spring Water
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