Pocket Listing

Not in recent memory has there been a film which deals with the intricacies of the real estate world, let alone one which features an actual real estate agent as the hero of the film. "I don't just sell houses, I deal dreams" remarks Jack Woodman (played by James Jurdi), a super hot, ultra slick shark in a suit who happens to be L.A.'s top realtor. This guy, or maybe Jurdi's engaging performance, actually made me want to consider studying up on real estate.

Woodman's rise, fall, and ultimate redemption make up the bulk of the story, along with the crazy deal at the heart of the film which amplify the intrigue/mayhem. Satire in the vein of "The Player" and "Get Shorty" add to the mix, producing a film which flies fast, digs deep infrequently, but whose ultimate purpose is to entertain, and oh yeah, to make us all wish we were super cool Beverly Hills real estate agents who find themselves in situations with femme fetale bombshells, Russian mafiosos, Mexican gangsters, and Rob Lowe as a rock star-styled villa owner with a dark side. Are we having fun yet? You will. That's the point.

" Los Angeles... gorgeous girls, golden sunshine, and money! " and so this modern day morality tale set in the city of Angels begins. Good performances carry the film through its sometimes uneven pace, but the fun really kicks in when the Malibu villa comes into play.

A very interesting mix of different genres, but especially a backstage look at the real estate market in Los Angeles. Of all the actors showcased, Jurdi excels and does his job very well. It also must be noted that the trophy Malibu villa is not the best visual. That prize belongs to Clark, who turns Lana into a femme fatale to remember.

This is a fun and relatively clever little film, far from perfect and a bit slow to get going but generally enjoyable overall.

What's interesting about it is that it is set in the backdrop of the American real estate crises but somehow it doesn't dwell on the drama of that dilemma. Rather, it spins an energetic crime caper about a Malibu villa and all the players that are trying to sell it for their own very shady reasons. As long as the film stays with this threadline, it works. When it tries to become a bit message oriented with a subplot about a Downtown tenement that's tied to the sale of the house and to the main real estate agent, it loses momentum and becomes less zesty.

Fortunately, it maintains enough energy to keep the audience engaged and one most give credit to the younger actors in the film for really carrying it nicely. Lowe and Reynolds have smaller parts but it's really the fresh faced ingenues that make this film pop. Overall, "Pocket Listing" is certainly ambitious, somewhat flawed but undeniably compelling.

A thoroughly entertaining expose on the treacherous dealings of contemporary real estate agents in Los Angeles.

The film starts off strong then sags a little in the middle, losing its way a bit when main character Jack falls from grace and winds up a landlord at a slum building. Things really pick up though when he is hired by a sexy vixen to sell a Malibu villa owned by her and her quietly menacing husband (a super fun Lowe).

Not the most realistic and by the book depiction of commerce, economics, and recession, "Pocket Listing" soars most when it is combining both crime genre and dark comedy elements. Give credit to new faces Jurdi and Clark for really turning on the heat and delivering stand out performances which more than hold their own opposite experienced vets like Lowe and Reynolds.

"Pocket Listing" takes a bit to build up but when it does, it truly delivers. 8/10