The Goods: Live Hard, Sell Hard - Film Review
This 2009 Jeremy Piven Comedy Makes for Decent Laughs
Sep 29, 2009
Adam McKay, director of the Will Ferrell-piloted comedies, Anchorman, Talladega Nights, and Step Brothers, delivers audiences yet another ridiculous comedy with The Goods: Live Hard, Sell Hard. This time, McKay is credited as a producer alongside Ferrell, and it is no wonder that the movie's funniest scene features a cameo from the SNL alum and comedy monster. Neil Brennan, most known for his directorial work on Chappelle's Show (Comedy Central, 2003-2006), is behind the lens for The Goods.
Although The Goods is no Anchorman, it provides a continuous stream of not-very-subtle to outlandish, low-brow comedy guaranteed to bring a few smiles to those with more prurient tastes.
Like Most McKay Movies, The Goods Is Very Simplistic and Formulaic in Terms of Plot and Progression
The Goods: Live Hard, Sell Hard tells the story of Don Ready, his team of mercenary car salespersons, and their quest to save a floundering car dealership from bankruptcy. Ready, played by Jeremy Piven (PCU, Smokin' Aces, HBO's Entourage), lives a fast life, smooth talking his way into getting anything he wants. His loyal team is no different, comprised of Jibby Newsome (Ving Rhames), Brent Gage (David Koechner), and Babs Merrick (Kathryn Hahn). At the offset, Ready is haunted by an incident that occurred at a car sale in Albuquerque, foreboding an obvious future conflict.
The main story begins when Ben Selleck (James Brolin) hires Ready's team to save his Temecula, California, used car dealership. Meeting the team at airport with his adult-sized, ten-year-old son, Peter (Rob Riggle), and his daughter but soon-to-be Don Ready love interest, Ivy (Jordana Spiro), Selleck explains his dealership's dire straits.
With the characters in place and the task at hand, all the movie needed was a villain. Enter Paxton Harding, a boy band singer wannabe, BMW dealer, and fiancé to Ivy played by Ed Helms (Evan Almighty, Semi-Pro, The Hangover). Paxton schemes to take over the dealership so he can use its lot as a rehearsal area for his "man band," Big Ups.
Thus, the stage is set. Ready's group's sole task is to sell every car on the lot, while Paxton and his father (Alan Thicke) try to stop them.
The Goods Lacks Redeeming Qualities, but It Will Make Viewers Laugh
The Goods: Live Hard, Sell Hard is little more than a stupid, unoriginal comedy. It forces raunchiness and misses many opportunities to use its comically skilled cast members to their full comedic potential. Helms' and Ken Jeong's (playing a car salesman) performances fall far short of their brilliant showings in the year's best comedy, The Hangover. Piven's performance is a shadow of his abilities as Entourage's Ari Gold. Rhames, Hahn, Brolin, and Koechner all have some amusing moments but are nothing to waste $10 on a movie ticket for. And Will Ferrell shows how much better at comedy he is in just one solo scene, which he then diminishes by poorly showing up again.
Overall, the acting is horrific. The plot and character interaction are dismally executed. No characters were particularly likable or revolting. Further, the comedy was amateurish, uncreative, and in bad taste solely for the sake of being in bad taste. The DVD should be released by year's end; it's debatable whether anyone should rent it.
Yet, despite it all, The Goods makes viewers laugh. Isn't that what one goes to see a comedy for? Perhaps, The Goods has the goods after all.
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