Hard Sell

This is a story about a repressed kid and his family and his messed up relationships. It's also about learning to care about what you want to care about instead of just what everyone thinks you should care about.

This story's characters are generally sad and depressing in many ways. But it's about getting past that and learning to love life and those we meet for what it is.

It's a coming of age story that goes far beyond the problems each character has.

You won't get through this movie without feeling something. This movie is for anyone who feels they're not where they wanted to be in life or love. It can make you feel real low then lift you up with some comedic mishaps.

The acting is great from the entire cast. There are no car chases or CGI or adventures. There are sexual innuendos but nothing raunchy. Just really good story telling. With an overall message of caring.

Hardy Buchanan (Skyler Gisondo) is a loner attending a rich Long Island private school. He lives with his depressed mother Lorna (Kristin Chenoweth) in a small apartment. His aged dog needs surgery but he has no money. While volunteering at a homeless shelter, he meets Bo (Katrina Bowden) who claims to be a homeless stripper. He takes her in for the night. She reveals that she ran away from a mental hospital. She flashes a bunch of kids for $50 and Hardy has an idea to make money for his dog surgery. Lake (Hannah Marks) is a disenfranchised girl at the school who takes an interest in Hardy. Bo's appeal becomes more than flashing her boobs as she helps these kids' troubles. Meanwhile, her past is closing in on her.

There is a bit of Risky Business, high school romance, and some mental health issues. The characters are good. Bowden is a fine manic pixie dream girl. This is a fine indie for the most part. I can do without the preaching by Hardy in the climatic confrontation with the school authorities. I would have liked a more interesting ending for Bo. There are a bunch of little things that could have been better but it's a nice effort for Sean Nalaboff's debut full length film.

It almost pains me to write a review saying that this film is mediocre because it did have a lot of potential. But there were elements in it that just didn't make sense.

Hard Sell could not sell me on how young Skyler Gisondo is able to afford attending what looks like a really posh prep school when he's living with a single agoraphobic mom played well by Kristen Chenoweth with a drinking problem.

Doing volunteer work at a homeless shelter Gisondo befriends a young runaway who says she's a stripper. Gisondo has a sick dog who probably should be put down, but he insists on raising money to save it. The surgery will cost $10,000.00 and there ain't no health insurance to cover it. Rather ridiculous on his part, I know having had to put down an 18 year old cat because it was his time.

Katina Bowden plays the 'stripper' who isn't all she claims to be in fact she's a lot more. Bowden and Gisondo go into some Risky type Business.

The characters were appealing i just wish they were attached to a more coherent story.

I found the movie funny and touching, well interpreted and i've been easylly catched in. I enjoyed it, it's funny and sad at the last part.

I saw yesterday the movie Hard Sell.I like it a lot. I saw it because i'm a fan of Katrina Bowden, since i saw her in the movie, Tucker and Dale vs Evil.

The force of the movie, for me, is the script. We see a high school student with a crazy mother and he don't know what to do with her.We don't see often this kind of story.The student forms a friendship with a runaway and they're funny to see together!

We connect with all the principal characters. The acting is excellent. They are touching and funny and we believe they exist.

The movie was shot in Long Island, New York, and we see beautiful places.

So i highly recommend this movie. You have a good time watching it. *I hope my text makes sens. My first language is french.