Jeff, Who Lives At Home and Casa De Mi Padre

This year, my wife and I paid good money to see several comedy films in the theater.  We bought candy and soda and had to drive there and back, expending petrol, time and patience for films that benefited not one iota from being seen on the big screen.  I decided to give Amazon's VOD service a shot for two new comedies I was on the fence about, hoping that I would appreciate them more in the comfort of my own home.  Also, the measly 5$ price tag for hi-def streaming meant we were spending at least 20$ less than if we trekked to the multiplex.  Suffice to say, this enabled me to enjoy both films much more for what they were.  Small, quirky exercises that didn't need a towering screen or blaring surround sound to highlight their considerable charms.  I will always want to see large budget, effects laden blockbusters on the big screen, but I think I'll be sticking to VOD for comedies and indie fare in the future, so pleasant was my experience viewing them via this platform.

Casa De Mi Padre is a lovely, bizarre experiment from Will Ferrell, a performer I frankly never tire of.  I love his persona and screen presence, he's that rare comic actor who can illicit a smile form me merely by looking at him.  I believe he has dramatic chops, but he uses them to make his comedic characters real, not for cloying Oscar bait material like Jim Carey.  Casa finds him stretching his oeuvre to include an entirely Spanish speaking role, a gimmick that settles in nicely after the initial shock to become but one part of a simple tale told in a hilarious and off-beat manner. There's much in this film to recommend it.  Lots of great supporting turns, especially Diego Luna and Gael Garcia Bernal, the latter whom nearly steals the comedic thunder right out from under Ferrell.  There's some silly songs and trippy sequences that spice up the proceedings, making this a brief, unique affair.  Time well spent with one of my favorite comedians.

I've never seen a Duplass brothers film, but the word of mouth on Jeff, Who Lives At Home was quite good.  Turns out the word was right.  A very funny, exceedingly human story with fantastic performances across the board.  It's a slight, slice of life that aims low, yet excels at warming the heart and hinting at the grand scheme of synchronicity governing all human interaction.  Segel and Helms are tremendous as expected, but both deliver extra dimensions to their roles, elevating them from archetypal caricatures to well rounded, believable human beings.  Segel in particular is transcendent, hitting unexpected notes in what could have been a flat, predictable role.  It does what an indie dramedy should, it makes you laugh, it makes you well up a bit here and there and it makes you contemplate your life and personal relationships in light of it.

I often complain about comedy and indie dramedy being weak, unmemorable genres.  These two films go above and beyond, being highly entertaining and enlightening without resorting to the flashy, unnecessarily crude or vulgar tactics so often employed by films in their field.  I'm sold on the VOD delivery model and will be using it from now on to give films I'd be wary of committing to theatrically a reduced risk chance in the cozy home environ.