Don't listen to the negative reviews

Although it has its amusing moments, in eneral the plot does not convince.

Fun premise, good actors, bad writing. This film seemed to have potential at the beginning but it quickly devolves into a trite action film. Ultimately it's very boring.

Close shines in drama with strong language, adult themes.

I couldn't sleep last night and ended up watching The Puffy Chair back to back, after starting on a few far more blockbusterish movies (such as Parental Guidance or Bachelorette) and getting bored with each after ten minutes. The Puffy Chair sucked me right in, though, and kept me watching until the early hours, although -- by all means -- nothing much happens. A twenty-something couple travels from New York to Atlanta for the birthday of the man's dad, and they pick up the idiosyncratic brother and the eponymous "Puffy Chair" -- a used La-Z-Boy recliner from eBay -- as a present. And that's it plotwise! What kept me glued to the screen was that you can never predict how the story develops (in other words, the script is fresh and original), the characters seem authentic (and therefore often even annoying), the emotions are plausible. The big question is really: Who's the culprit? Is it Josh, who's often a bit of a jerk? Or is it Emily, who often seems very egotistical? And what about Rhett, who seems to be aware of everything except how to take responsibility? There's never a clearcut answer, just a vibe. And yet the movie captivates. The Duplass brothers are simply great storytellers.

When keepin' it real goes wrong...this is actually a great film, from an artistic perspective. The acting is top-notch (I've liked Mark Duplass & Katie Aselton since The League, but I gotta say I didn't know they had this level of dramatic acting proficiency in them), the dialogue is extremely realistic, and its depiction of human relationships is insightful. However, it gets pretty dark, and I didn't relate to the characters that well (except, in some ways, Josh, because he's a problem solver & leader, and while he's not above blame, I saw his side most of all). I almost rated this one lower, because I didn't like the way I felt afterwards (I rate movies based on overall entertainment value, rather than pure artistic merit)...I've encountered enough of this movie's situations in real life to not want to watch others go through it on screen. That being said, I respect the message, it's an awesome conversation starter, and a really a good little independent gem...just save it for one day when you're mad at people in general, and you want to embrace that disdain. You also might want to think twice about watching it with your significant other...it could start a fight.

Being a fellow indie filmmaker, I often sympathize with the plight of such a diverse bunch. Not to mention, I can't help but feel a mixture of pride and encouragement. Independent filmmakers are willing to go out there and dare to show things that studios are scared to mention. The essence of an indie film is hard to pin down. But perhaps what indie films do best is show us ourselves, without glamour and pizazz! I first heard about THE PUFFY CHAIR six years ago when Ebert reviewed it on his show. From that day forward, I knew I'd have to track it down. Happily, a year later, I found it and then fell in love with it! At its core, the movie is a road trip undertaken by Josh, his girlfriend Emily, and his younger brother Rhett. However, as the movie progresses, tensions mount between the three as they keep encountering setbacks. What's amazing about the film is that all the situations that the trio encounters could happen in real-life, and most likely have happened. From a cinematographer's viewpoint, the Duplass brothers wisely make use of DV cameras and available lighting. It gives the film an overall sense of immediacy. In many ways, it feels like someone's home videos and that may have been what they were going for. I'd highly recommend this to anyone who wants to see what can be done with a small budget, a couple DV cameras, and three talented actors. This makes my Top 10 Best Indie Films!

it's a beautiful thing to see over-privileged d-bags making it in film. If you can make it, the ending is a huge payoff - emily drops the MEGA-TON on Dupl-Ass! although, it would have made more sense to do what she did at the beginning when she threw all of Dupl-Ass's plates on the floor.Additionally, i found some critical shortcomings in Chair's attempt at realism.....1. chameleons certainly don't live wherever it was that they met up with the American taliban 2. first priority overnight upholstery is not as expensive as people think. 3. people are normally killed in motel parking lot recliner fires but this dude escaped with only a broken arm (unfortunately) 4. in the end, his parents didn't even seem like the sort of people who would want that kind of chair 5. there was a writing credit