Jeff Who Lives at Home (Blu-ray) Official AVSForum Review


The Review at a Glance: (max score: 5 )

Film:

Extras:

Audio/Video total rating:

( Max score: 100 )
85





Studio and Year: Paramount - 2011
MPAA Rating: R
Feature running time: 82 minutes
Genre: Dramedy

Disc Format: BD-25
Encoding: AVC (MPEG-4)
Video Aspect: 1.85:1
Resolution: 1080p/24


Audio Format(s): English DTS-HD 5.1 Master Audio, French/Spanish/Portuguese Dolby Digital 5.1
Subtitles: English, English SDH, French, Spanish, Portuguese
Starring: Ed Helms, Jason Segel, Susan Sarandon, Judy Greer, Rae Dawn Chong
Written & Directed by: Jay Duplass & Mark Duplass
Music by: Michael Andrews
Region Code: A,B,C

Blu-ray Disc release Date: June 19, 2012
"The first step to finding your destiny is leaving your mother's basement"


Film Synopsis:


Dispatched from his basement room on an errand for his mother, slacker Jeff might discover his destiny (finally) when he spends the day with his brother as he tracks his possibly adulterous wife.

My Take:

Jeff Who Lives at Home is the story of one man’s search for the meaning of life. As slacker Jeff stumbles towards enlightenment, he uncovers answers to his nagging family’s problems. Jeff has no idea where he’s going but when he finally gets there, he might just find out what it’s all about. I have an appreciation for films that diverge from the norm and take us down paths that are less traveled. This is an offbeat comedy that eschews over the top humor in favor of situational hijinks that revolve around familial dysfunction. These are wonderfully drawn and flawed characters that only see the world and themselves from a narrow perspective. There’s Pat (Helms), an underachieving wannabe overachiever who is in a fractured marriage to Linda who clearly wants more. Next up is Jeff, Pat’s brother, a thirty year old pot smoking, jobless sad sack that spends his days living in his mother’s basement exploring the hidden meaning in every facet of life. Lastly there is their mother Sharon who spends her days working in an office cubicle while frustratingly trying to push Jeff to be more than what he has become.


While none of this sounds especially funny (and it really isn’t I suppose) co-writers/directors Jay and Mark Duplass successfully paint a vivid picture of the dark humor and melodic drama that can sometimes be found in life’s ordinary moments. The film takes a snapshot of one day that starts out as any other but takes the members of this family on a journey of personal discovery lead by Jeff, the one person that they have never taken seriously. Ed Helms and Jason Segel are pitch perfect as the disjointed brothers that find reward on complete opposite ends of life’s spectrum but come together after the discovery that Pat’s wife Linda is spending time with another man. Jeff is motivated by an obsessive belief in fate something that Pat would never ascribe to. Over the course of the events that transpire their worlds collide in a way that neither would believe possible. In the mean time Sharon is making discoveries of her own when a secret admirer in the office sends her a message. She revels in the attention which provides a much needed bit of escapism from her worry/concern over Jeff. Unbeknownst to all of them, at the conclusion of the day none of their lives or relationships will be the same.


I thoroughly enjoyed Jeff who lives at home. It’s a thoughtful film with a rewarding comedic edge that is underscored by thematic drama that never gets in the way. It isn’t deep or prophetic but it’s sense of purpose is strikingly clear in that it wants us to see these people for what they are not just in the beginning but for what they become by the end. I think that it is one of those films that resonate especially if you get it. Kudos to Mark and Jay Duplass.

Parental Guide:


The rating is for language including sexual references and some drug use.




AUDIO/VIDEO - By The Numbers:
REFERENCE = 92-100 / EXCELLENT = 83-91 / GOOD = 74-82 / AVERAGE = 65-73 / BELOW AVERAGE = under 65

**My audio/video ratings are based upon a comparative made against other high definition media/blu-ray disc.**


(Each rating is worth 4 points with a max of 5 per category)

Audio: 80

• 
  
• Dynamics:
• 
  
• Low frequency extension:
• 
  
• Surround Sound presentation:
• 
  
• Clarity/Detail:
• 
  
• Dialogue Reproduction:
  
  

(Each rating is worth 4 points with a max of 5 per category)

Video: 90

• 
  
• Resolution/Clarity:
• 
  
• Black level/Shadow detail:
• 
  
• Color reproduction:
• 
  
• Fleshtones:
• 
  
• Compression:

Jeff who lives at home comes to Blu-ray Disc from Paramount HE featuring 1080p AVC encoded video that has an average bitrate of 27 Mbps and lossless DTS-HD 5.1 Master Audio sound that has an average bitrate of 3.4 Mbps.


This is a high quality video presentation that seems a perfect match for the source material. Colors are naturally rendered with eye pleasing vitality and delineated depth. Fleshtones err on the side of pale but remain lifelike in depiction. Images are resolute, with stable sharpness, crisp detail and appreciable subtle refinement. Certain scenes appeared better resolved than others although this appears related to the photography and not the encoding. Contrast is stable and blacks are rich in depth with discernible detail in low lighting and shadows. I didn’t see any distracting signs of video related artifacts and thought that in general video quality was top notch.


The lossless DTS-HD MA soundtrack has good dynamic range and detail rich clarity that enables the detection of subtle background sounds within the acoustic environment created by the surround mix. Dialogue is firmly planted in the center channel which clearly renders voices and effects with appropriate distinction and tonal balance within the front soundstage. Low frequency effects aren’t noteworthy but the subwoofer is kept busy as it works in tandem with the rest of the system to appropriately convey the bass associated with the film’s recorded elements.

Bonus Features:


There are no bonus features included.


Final Thoughts:


Directly from the minds of co-writers/directors Jay and Mark Duplass Jeff who lives at home is a well crafted dramedy that eschews over the top situational laughs in favor of a vivid portrait of the dark humor and melodic drama that can sometimes be found in life’s ordinary moments. I found it to be a thoughtful film with a rewarding comedic edge that is underscored by thematic drama that never gets in the way. The result is an entertaining and fresh comedy that I really enjoyed. It comes to Blu-ray Disc from Paramount Home Entertainment featuring excellent high definition video and crystal clear lossless sound quality. Unfortunately there are no bonus supplements included. Jeff who lives at home is recommended viewing that deserves a spot at the top of your rental queue.














Ralph Potts
AVS Forum Blu-ray Reviews





Reference Review System:



JVC DLA-RS55 3D Ready 1080p High Definition Front Projector

Stewart Filmscreen - Studiotek 130 G3 100” 16x9 Screen

Onkyo PR-SC5508 THX Ultra 2 Audio/Video Processor

Sherbourn Technologies - 7/200 Seven Channel Amplifier

Oppo BDP-93 Universal Disc/3D capable Blu-ray Player (HDMI Audio/Video)

Panasonic DMP-BDT310 3D capable Blu-ray Player (HDMI Audio/Video)

Toshiba HD-XA2 HD DVD Player (HDMI Audio/Video)

Sony Playstation 3 Blu-ray disc Player (HDMI Audio/Video)

System Controller: Apple iPad/iRule Pro HD Universal Remote Control

Canton "Ergo" Series speakers

Axiom Audio QS8 Quadpolar speakers

SV Sound PB-13 Ultra (Rosenut finish)

APC AV S15BLK Power Conditioner/Surge Protector

Furman SPR-20i Stable Power Regulator

Wireworld, Better Cables (Silver Serpent) - Audio/Video/Speaker Cabling

Cool Components - CP-CP102 cooling package