Death of a Saleswoman

Through a hazy maze of nutty twists and turns or macabre and inconvenient coincidences, "Death of a Saleswoman" propels us through all the dotty lives of a rural small hamlet's populace. Practically every single character in filmmaker Donna Wheeler's universe either has a reason to be a suspect or to finger someone else as one. Although the gazillion maddening strands eventually find clarity and get tied neatly with a bow, part of the fun is simply letting go and allowing this marvelous cinematic bon-mot to simply wash over you.

As an added plus, what really sucked me in was the wonderfully orchestrated sonic universe. Both the music and the sound beds jointly conspired to create a rich geography of place and a lush mood of mystery. It was equally silly when it was appropriate as well. It felt like I was really there for the ride.

"Death of a Saleswoman" is a smart and funny murder mystery that rips the lid off stale, pre-packaged crime dramas and instead delivers a fresh, delicious comedy to the world. I highly recommend it.

Watching Death of a Saleswoman was like being with a group of friends who knows my sense of humor PERFECTLY. The comedy comes at you obliquely, but if you pay attention you can really appreciate the subtle touches. Clever use of black and white hearkens back to Film Noir classics and adds an extra dimension as well.

For an indie film with a small budget, these guys (girls!) really hit it out of the park. They took a chance and it really paid off. Trying to make a combination mystery/comedy is no easy task even for big-budget Hollywood studios, but they made it work.

Watch this one with a good Pinot Noir. That's my recommendation to you.

I rented this with some friends from college and we enjoyed it over an evening of chatting, grilling and a fun holiday weekend. It's full of subtle, silly and mostly G-rated elements within the story line and plot, and I know my nieces, nephews and friends' kids would like it, as they would probably try to solve the mystery of the true killer's identity along with me and my friends. Parts of it reminded me of the Real Housewives series somewhat, but it avoids going too far into the negative, backbiting, cattiness and competitiveness, and instead stays more like a parody where the characters are frequently just playing the absurd aspects of a certain reality. The actors seem to be enjoying some sauciness in certain scenes, and overall, they stay within the family-rating stamp of the movie, while still having fun with the story. One thing I'll say, we were not able to guess the ending, and that was half the fun. It's good viewing for a lighthearted, family night in, or for times hanging out with friends watching festival indie movies.

Death of a Saleswoman is a really nice black comedy that I highly recommend. It deals with, well, uh, the death of a saleswoman - specifically a plasticware saleswoman in a small town - and who committed the crime. It's a lot of fun to watch and pulls the viewer right in. If you're in the mood for dark comedy, this one's the ticket.

Donna Wheeler deserves kudos for her work on this film, as does her team. It's no small feat putting an indie like this together, and they succeeded very well.

Honestly, the team deserves kudos just for their tagline - "6 housewives. 1 dead body. A trunk full of plastic storage wear." Doesn't it make you want to watch the movie? I know it did for me.

A great dark comedy in a subtle female centric huis-clos challenging the so-called American Dream Town life.