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 and profound realities of human experience.
The Do-Deca-Pentathlon, the latest from the Duplass brothers (though shot before their last two released films), exemplifies such devotion. Starring Mark Kelly and Steve Zissis (also a key player in Baghead and Jeff Who Lives at Homes), the film tells an up-close-and-personal tale about two grown brothers, Jeremy (Kelly) and Mark (Zissis). Upon reuniting for a family birthday, the siblings battle it out in a homemade Olympic event—the Do-Deca-Pentathlon, a competition they created as children. Not surprisingly, this competition yields strong comedy throughout the film as the two lose sleep over their struggle while trying to hide it from the rest of the family. But their contest goes far beyond comical competitiveness, tapping into a mutual resentment within the two men and serving as a catalyst for them to unlock their inner child and cope with the disappointment and discontentment of their adult lives.