Starring Jason Segel, Ed Helms, Susan Sarandon
Directed by Jay Duplass, Mark Duplass
With bleary eyes evincing a fondness for his bong, Jeff (the perfectly cast Jason Segel) opens this by marvelling at how the seemingly extraneous elements in Signs all build to a perfect moment. While its highly amusing to watch someone defend, much less deify, the much-maligned M. Night Shyamalan, youre also taken with the schlubs conviction that everything has significance.
Consequently, when he receives a phone call from someone looking for Kevin, he naturally wonders, What if there are no wrong numbers? Joining Jeffs ensuing quest for answers is his dickish older bother Pat (Ed Helms), whos trying to determine whether his wife (Judy Greer) is unfaithful. Checking in intermittently by phone is their exasperated mother, Sharon (Susan Sarandon).
As the on-screen misadventures escalate and attempt to coalesce into one of those highly-cinematic perfect moments, its clear that writers-directors Jay and Mark Duplass were on surer footing with smaller-scale offerings such as Cyrus. Particularly grating is how Sharons subplot seems grafted onto the film. However, if the storytelling is wobbly, the sentiment that drives it is sturdy. In short strokes, the filmmakers and actors establish convincing characters whose buffoonish behaviour is rooted in deep emotional wounds.
Whether the Duplasses learn from their mistakes here and again attempt something this (relatively) grandiose or return to their comfort zone of more understated stories, this marks a turning point for these filmmakers. Curtis Woloschuk
