Synopsis: In The Goods: Live Hard, Sell Hard, a ruthless car salesman is recruited by an ailing Temecula dealership.
Release Date: August 14, 2009 MPAA Rating: PG-13
Genre(s): Comedy
Film Review
Production
The Goods: Live Hard, Sell Hard as a whole may be a bit on the sloppy side but it still delivers plenty of laughs. The main enjoyment comes from the variety of characters and the varying personalities they create. From the kind and sweet good girl to the overtly racist, absurdly out of order war veteran, there is a character type to please everyone’s mood or disposition towards what you believe is funny. The actual story leans towards the lame side; car salesman can only be so interesting when trying to actually sell a car. Luckily, the film overshadows any type of plot with continual jokes about anything but cars leaving you adequately satisfied and completely forgetful as to what the story was really about.
Editing
The more interesting techniques may wear off toward the end of The Goods: Live Hard, Sell Hard but it gives quite a bit in the beginning. There are a variety of split screens to show multiple lines of action which is entirely helpful in not only delivering laughs from multiple characters and/or action at once but also in keeping track of the large ensemble of characters. This ensemble is also emphasized with quick cuts between characters in a given scene. This is beneficial for the viewer as you are able to see the reaction to a particular moment by multiple personalities – the backbone of this comedy ensemble. Wide shots become boring and drab when dealing with so many people on screen, which you can see many times in the film. The use of these quick cuts alleviates the need to stand back from the characters but instead gives you the opportunity to engage with each separately for a brief moment only amplifying the laughter.
Comedy Factor
The humor in The Goods: Live Hard, Sell Hard is offensive, at times disgusting, wholly reliant on sex and genitalia references and as politically incorrect as possible. If you enjoy that type of humor you will be laughing, a lot. If that is not your thing then this is not your type of comedy, but you may still laugh here and there.
Cast and Crew
- Director(s): Neal Brennan
- Screenwriter: Rick Stempson
- Cast: Jeremy Piven (Don Ready)
- Editor(s): Michael Jablow
- Cinematographer: Kevin Tent
- Country Of Origin: USA