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The Puffy Chair
- Directed by: Jay Duplass
- Starring: Mark Duplass, Kathryn Aselton, Rhett Wilkins
- Release Date: 27 April 2007 (ICA only)
This low-budget road-trip movie - written, produced and directed by two brothers from New Orleans - combines black comedy with psychological insight. We're impressed
It's only after laughing, biting my nails and wincing my way through this assured debut that I realised it was made for a $15,000 budget, with a crew of one. But far from coming across as amateurish, its adept handling of seesawing emotions and killer comic timing mark out Jay and Mark Duplass as, without question, Ones to Watch.
Josh (Mark Duplass, who also wrote and co-produced the film) hides his bullying and anger under a laid-back, clownish persona. Trapped in a frustrating relationship (with Emily, played to insecure perfection by Kathryn Aselton), things bubble over when they embark on a cross-America road trip to pick up a red armchair that Josh won on Ebay.
As hippy brother Rhett gets picked up on the trip - we first see him filming lizards in his garden - things start to go awry. There's blackmail, lies, peeing into bottles in motel carparks, and impromptu wedding vows. Black humour is interweaved with genuinely moving psychological drama throughout and the acting is always convincing.
Having picked up festival plaudits at the SXSW Festival and the Independent Spirit Awards, the Duplass brothers have finally secured distribution with Netflix, who have funded a theatrical release for the film. This ICA screening is a must for any fans of indie cinema.
Jess Holland
