The Do-Deca-Pentathlon

If the works of Jay and Mark Duplass boast a visual trademark, that trademark would be the “punch zoom.” In pertinent moments throughout all the Duplass films, starting with their mumblecore debut The Puffy Chair, the camera quickly zooms in on characters—like, well, a punch—shifting the focus from big to small, from macro to micro. Many moviegoers consider this stylistic staple a literal punchline for their offbeat humor, but it seems to function more as a symbol of what they’re devoted to as filmmakers: the eschewing of big, impersonal narratives for small, intimate stories that hone in on the simple...  read more