User reviews

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"

I've read quite a few reviews of this film (as well as other "mumblecore" flicks) that are far too generous with the Cassavetes comparisons. Cassavetes dealt with deeply profound subject matter. His characters were struggling with issues of morality, death and sometimes sanity. This was a nice, cute movie, nothing more. The stakes are small-scale, the problems and concerns of he characters are personal to the point of being solipsistic and there's really nothing driving the action other than a pretty hackneyed sense of "loss of childhood." If anything, valid comparisons could be made for the films of John Hughes. His "brat pack" body of work seems to be a point of reference for many of these filmmakers, at least on an emotional level.

For a single man, the late 20's can be a very interesting and pleasant phase of life. You still enjoy much of the freedom you had when you were younger, but without the poverty. You've got a real job, a decent car, and a place of your own with no roommate. You've probably even got a few wine glasses and some framed pictures on the wall. You've figured out how to look and act like an adult, while remaining a teenager on the inside. In "The Puffy Chair," Josh (Mark Duplass) is just such a guy (not a man, but a guy). He sets off on a road trip to deliver his dad's birthday present, a purple Lazy-Boy just like one Josh remembers from his childhood. It's clear he is looking forward to some solo time on the road, but first his girlfriend Emily (Kathryn Aselton) and then his brother Rhett (Rhett Wilkins) tag along. In true road-trip fashion the three encounter various challenges along the way, and hash out their relationships.

The dynamics between the emotionally reticent Josh and his effusive, impulsive brother are there mainly for comic relief. The main theme of "The Puffy Chair" is the tension between Josh, who is happy just being a guy and having a girlfriend, and Emily who craves at least some emotional validation if not a solid commitment. The painful, late-night "conversations" that result will be uncomfortably familiar to most. Don't be misled, though. "The Puffy Chair" deals with real feelings and relationship issues, but it is above all else a hilarious road-trip comedy.

The first full-length feature by the Duplass brothers (Mark and Jay), "The Puffy Chair" is unmistakably low-budget. I suspect the biggest budget item was the actual chair. The quality of the cinematography and lighting lies somewhere between cheap porn and after-school special. The performances, on the other hand, are very heartfelt and enjoyable. One nice independent-film touch is that Josh's parents are played by Mark Duplass's actual parents. In one pivotal scene, Mr. Duplass dispenses some of his own fatherly advice.

I caught Puffy Chair at Sundance, and I will be surprised if it hits the Cineplex any time soon. It's a delightful movie, but it doesn't have the breakout success potential of a "Napoleon Dynamite." This is more the "Brothers McMullen" of 2005. See it if you can, and keep an eye out for the next Duplass brothers effort. 4 out of 5 stars.

Without having read a single review or write-up on or offline prior to seeing this movie I can easily believe all that passed before my eyes and through my ears while all comfy in the nearest indie-Edwards. It's a must that be stated first because, although I almost disliked the movie based upon it's ending and the handling of certain situations involving the main characters and problems presented; one can't NOT like the way humor and love weaves it's way in and out of the real-life docu-drama as it unfolds...seemingly, over and over again.

Thankfully 'things' come to a close in a timely manner and you're left to contemplate life's journey and your association with it all.

Enjoy.

This is a nice little find for anyone looking around through the 'indie' section of the video store (or, for contemporaries, the independent section of Netflix, who actually distributed the film), and it has some nice performances and some nice human comedy. I keep saying 'nice' because sometimes it isn't so nice, so I guess sarcastically I mean it isn't so. There is a lot of good going for the Duplass brothers on their first feature film outing, about Josh (Mark Duplass) going to pick up a puffy red chair that is like he had as a childhood keepsake for his father, along with his girlfriend Emily (Katie Aselton) and along the way picking up his brother Rhett (Rhett Wilkins, simple enough to remember).

The two main characters Josh and Emily seem to be fairly complex characters, the operating word 'seem'. They are close and show affection, but Emily is not sure where the relationship is going and neither is Josh, and on the road trip both see that there is friction as to the negativity towards romance Emily feels and how Josh doesn't respond to Emily's feelings. So it's very much about the characters. This is important, and the Duplass' know it, since their camera-work, in the sort of Mumblecore aesthetic if there is one, is to follow the characters based solely on emotion. If there was such a thing as a focus puller, or even a shot list, I really wonder if the Duplass' used them.

So, are the characters likable? Did I enjoy going on this adventure with them from New York to Atlanta? Up to a point. Where it started to lose me was when the character Rhett took over for large chunks of the story. It's not that it's not understandable why Josh would put up, or even love, Rhett, since he's known him his whole life. But for the audience, he comes off like he is: a hippy-dippy guy who falls in love on the first night and foolishly gets "married" to a woman he just met, which (thankfully) he ditches the next morning. There's another twist that happens later in the film that is more alarming, and had me yelling at the screen, which is something I usually reserve for movies that fly off the rails. The Puffy Chair ultimately keeps to its low-key ways, but it almost goes into being just annoying itself, not simply about annoying people.

You know what you're in for if you've seen something else by or featuring the Duplass' like Humpday or the recent Cyrus, which is akin to Puffy Chair's dealings with love and neuroses and trying to connect with one another with or without the bulls***. The Puffy Chair is a good start, but one can see that there's much growth to be had from its (yes) hipster roots.

The Puffy Chair is often considered to be one of the pioneering films for the mumblecore genre, a style which is often associated with no name actors and a relatively quiet script. To me, mumblecore is a naturalistic approach to topics that could've been taken with unnecessary comedy or a stereotypical, kidding approach, but since they are handled on a modest budget, they are usually taken with admirable gratitude and soul.

The Puffy Chair, released in 2005, is a unique picture for the time, but unfortunately an unsatisfying one. It revolves around Josh (Mark Duplass, whose brother, Jay, directed the film), a twentysomething who plans to travel across the country to deliver his father a fluffy, purple reclining chair that he has longed for. He takes the trip with his needy girlfriend, Emily (Katie Aselton) and his impulsive best friend, Rhett (Rhett Wilkins), and along the way, the picture decides to explore the trio's relationship with each other, along with Josh and his parents, and many others.

For the first twenty-five minutes or so, the film is poignant, natural, and keenly avoids being indulgent to this idea of mumblecore that it seemingly erected from thin air. But for a directorial debut by the Duplass brothers (Jay serves as the main director, while his brother, Mark is uncredited), you more or less remain optimistic for what their future might hold rather than this picture.

To begin with, the characters are rather stale and just tired archetypes. The main character Josh is moderately likable, his girlfriend is very overbearing, and is best friend leaves the viewer very unsympathetic. One of the biggest challenges for this style of film is that you must make everything unassuming and subtle, yet you need to provide the viewer with enough charisma and likability so they can invest valuable emotions through the characters. From someone who has seen three of the brothers' latest efforts, Cyrus, The Do-Deca-Pentathlon, and Jeff, Who Lives at Home (all of which have received a positive rating from myself), accomplish this goal successfully, while The Puffy Chair struggles to remain buoyant in a sea of difference. After a while, it resembles something of other road films, and that something is much of a muchness.

Now, the performances from the cast are capable, the script is marginally pleasing, and the directing, despite the cloying zoom tactic the brothers would continue using in their films up until present day to sort of forcefully shove style in our face, is efficiently done. It's the story and the overall lack of anything to care about that leaves the viewer empty and rather disinterested.

Starring: Mark Duplass, Kate Aselton, and Rhett Wilkins. Directed by: Jay Duplass.

This movie had some real nice moments. Katheryn Aselton is a very good actress. The scene with Emily and Josh arguing about marriage is so realistic in dialogue and acting.

The three characters are very interesting and like a lot like people I've known. the actors are very good in that they don't let their egos shine through their work like many filmmaker/producers/actors do.

Nothing is pushed or forced in this movie and there is meaning in the silences. This movie is very simple and unique in it's way.

I thought the whole picking up the chair ordeal was funny. the statement about men and women were very right on.

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.

For anyone who wasn't aware of the Mumblecore movement a few years back, it was basically a group of young, post-college, middle-class, white, awkward kids (nerds if you want to be mean about it), making films about their lives. Unfortunately, (or fortunately, depending on who you ask), The Puffy Chair may have effectively killed the movement all together. What made other mumblecore film's like Bujalski's Funny Ha Ha and Mutual Appreciate stand out was the strikingly honest (if somewhat mundane) behavior displayed by the characters in those films. Swanberg's LOL stood out simply because it had something to say (about our attachment and dependence on technology trumping a more genuine and connected form communication). These films were saying something even if it was simply, "we never see people that look and talk like us on screen." However, this film has none of those qualities. Think of the most annoying, boring, spoiled, whiny, in desperate need of psychotherapy, young couple you can think of, and then imagine having to spend an hour and a half with them. Nothing really happens in this film, and yet the few things that do happen are almost completely implausible. I can't quite remember a more unlikable pair in a film. You keep hoping this solipsistic couple will catch a few minutes of the evening news to realize there's a bigger world out there. For decades, numerous European filmmakers have made films without focusing on that pesky thing called plot, but they will at least usually give the viewer something to look at, or engaging characters to listen to. Don't look for either here. The biggest challenge with this film is having to endure the pointless, grating dialogue of this self- absorbed couple for 90 minutes. The shear honesty of the final scene is the only thing that merits giving it 2 stars as opposed to one. However, as I watched it, I couldn't help but wonder who on Earth would want to be with either of these two people?

Basically, I saw this movie for no good reason. I was at the Nantucket Film Festival (June 2005) with some friends and we only had a few days to see the films. Unfortunately, most of the films I wanted to see were on the last two days, which were after we were leaving. But I bought a ticket for this little film with a funny name and we went to see it on the second day of the festival.

Needless to say, one friend and I were completely blown away. For a movie we just saw because I liked the name of it, "The Puffy Chair" was a very fortunate random purchase, indeed.

The simple yet strangely elegant story of a man trying to get his father the perfect birthday gift and the strange events that he, his girlfriend and his tag-along brother encounter makes for an exceptional viewing experience.

Very realistic, and the pseudo-documentary-style camera work adds to the excellent script. Superb acting, especially Mark Duplass and Kathryn Aselton. In a side note - we met them at the festival and they are really nice people. Which is completely irrelevant but I just thought I'd mention that.

Anyway, "The Puffy Chair" is an extremely good film, and I highly recommend it.

By all accounts, most reviewers liked this film. I did not find the male characters likable. I did not find the story likable. I did not find the production likable. I did find this film a total waste of time.

The Puffy Chair is a pleasure to watch; human and funny and full of well- observed moments that ring so true they elicit long, gorgeous belly laughs.

Josh, his girlfriend Emily and his brother Rhett are on a road trip to visit Josh's father. On the way they plan to pick up a puffy chair for Dad's birthday.

The film, although buzzed as a road trip movie, is essentially a relationship comedy-drama, and unfortunately falls into gender stereotypes. Emily, focused (entirely?) on marriage issues, is less sympathetic than the two guys, Josh and Rhett. It is disappointing in such a character driven movie that the female still...isn't given enough character. However, Katie Aselton as Emily does a terrific job, as do Mark Duplass and Rhett Wilkins, and the film's appeal, as in BottleRocket, is motored by the immense charm of its lead actors. Warmer and less measured than Napoleon Dynamite or Garden State, The Puffy Chair is a lovely and--one more time--truly charming film. I highly recommend it.

For anyone who has been in a relationship and at some point wondered "why are we together" this film is a wake-up call. Fairly low production value, the main characters Josh and Emily have a heartfelt connection (though I heard they're married or such, so I suppose that's part of it) that's both raw and un-nerving at times. We follow Josh and Emily as they drive to Josh's father's home for a surprise visit on his birthday - and the big surprise is the delivery of the "puffy chair". On their way, they are joined by Rhett, Josh's brother, who begins to force the two to answers questions about their relationship and whether they truly are happy. While Rhett the actor is fairly good, Rhett the character remains a tad one dimensional.

Beyond the faults of the production value and camera work, the film has a solid soundtrack and brings to light the most relevant question: Why are we together?

A suitable start to a new voice in film, Puffy Chair managed to hold my attention despite many pet peeves in film due to rich characters and performances. Thank God the Duplass brothers got better from here however.

I have been waiting a while to see this in my exploration of slacker movies. It has the basic formula of slackers in a meaningless job, and trying to figure out their love life - this time on a quest to pick up a puffy chair for dad's birthday.

Jay and Mark Duplass share the credit for this film. They both wrote it and Jay directed, while Mark played the lead.

Josh (Mark) is a commitment-phobic musician who engages in some pitiful baby-talk with a needy girl fiend Emily (Kathryn Aselton). Also involved is the strange brother Rhett (Rhett Wilkins) who manages to pull a Britney Spears by getting engaged, pseudo-married, and split in just 12 hours.

Of course, that ceremony had the best slacker vows for a woman to say in a wedding: "I promise to always support you in what you want, even when you don't know what you want. And I promise I will never pressure you to do or be anything you don't want to be." Long live losers.

The Puffy Chair is a simple road movie about two brothers and a girlfriend who take a trip to deliver a chair to their dad on his birthday. The plot is as simple as that. They have a few semi-deep conversations and realizations and random adventures along the way, but it's hard to describe exactly what this film really encompasses.

The synopsis makes it sound like a straightforward road movie, and it actually is, but it is not your typical road movie. It is not like most other road movies, which often rely on ridiculous plots and outrageous scenes for entertainment, such as in Planes, Trains and Automobiles and Due Date. The Puffy Chair feels totally real. Everything that happens feels real and feels as if it could happen. The characters are strange and quirky, but only to the extent of real human beings. But if you don't watch closely, you might miss it, and mistake this for a boring film, which it most certainly is not. Rest assured, the filmmakers knew exactly what they were doing and it was not an accident that this movie came out feeling so very real.

At first when I was watching it I found myself wondering what they heck they were doing. Why were they talking like that? Who the heck were these people on screen? Then I quickly realized that they were real people. They were people just like you and me with their own unique habits and personalities. It felt weird because they were not typical movie characters, but the characters of real life, and for the first time I realized that it felt to see them on screen. They weren't characters like Leonardo DiCaprio or Johnny Depp. They were more like your next door neighbor.

Even the side plots felt strange at first, like they were missing something. The character randomly stopped at a movie theater and met some people and hung out with them. I wondered what that had to do with the movie, but then realized that that was exactly what the movie was about. It was about these characters and what they were doing and it felt so real. And it felt fresh and it made me happy.

If you loved Good Luck Chuck You then you'll probably hate this movie. There are no car chases or farting scenes. There's no grand realization or big conspiracy uncovered in the plot. But that's what is good about it. Although nothing externally exciting happens and there aren't any major twists, so much happens on an emotional level, to the point that when a minor tragedy occurs—which, in many conventional films would be trivial at best—we feel it so much more. We actually care. Nothing outrageous happens in this film, but that doesn't make it any less entertaining.

It actually refreshing the amount of people who have totally missed the point of this film...perhaps they have found something most of us yearn for...that amazingly simple feeling of total and mutual infatuation.

For those of us more vulnerable, the main theme of this story will be an all too familiar one. Doubts of commitment, and about committing. That which should be simple, is suddenly a struggle for affirmation. As a guy, I totally related to poor Josh (and his cowardice). I see myself in the reasons he resorts to baby talk and humor (it avoids sincerity), the frustration he represses, and that feeling like you are the only sane person left. As for the women out there...watch this movie and then ponder this: If he is crazy about you and if hes worth being crazy about, then he will make you know it. End of story.

If you don't know it, hes either not crazy about you and doesn't have the balls to admit it, or you want someone who can show it more...move on.

Id like to believe true love is simple, and amazing, like the telling of the story of The Puffy Chair.

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.

This film premiered at the 2005 sundance film festival and I was one of those lucky enough to attend the premiere. To be honest, I was expecting something mildly amusing and nothing more. Needless to say, I was very pleasantly surprised.

The Puffy Chair is a joy to watch, from beginning to end. Mark Duplass, Rhett Wilkins and Kathryn Aselton play off of each other so well that watching the film makes a person feel like a part of some in-joke. These are amazingly real and intimate performances, and every subtle emotion that is portrayed in both the dialogue and action comes across as if the audience were a part of the film.

This movie definitely deserves to be seen by a large number of people. It may not be a candidate for mainstream success, but those who take the time to seek it out will find it a rewarding experience.

This film is everything a low budget film should be. It's dry and funny and the performances are great. It makes the most of its budget and it makes its mini DV cinematography part of the aesthetic. The directing in this film is great.

I'd love to sit down and write an intelligent, well thought out review however, I feel I'd be spending more time in the writing process than the filmmakers did. I live in Los Angeles and I'm sorry to say that the characters seemed just SO much like underemployed and overly ego inflated ACTORS. There was not one moment in the film when I could escape the feeling I was watching the drivel ridden conversation of unemployed actors at a hipster LA coffee shop. One of the worst "indie" films I've ever seem with so little to recommend it that hearing it won at Sundance has effectively removed any prior interest I may have had in attending, much less considering a postitive Sundance review to be meaningful. Watch at your own risk.