100 Mile Rule

I saw this movie at a film festival (Fort Lauderdale) and what a waste of time and money. The only thing going for it is the presence of the beautiful and talented Maria Bello; however, the viewer wonders how someone of her talent got mixed up in a below-average effort like this one. The major problems are a deficient script that couldn't get a passing grade in Screenwriting 101 and what can only be described as amateurish directing.

I picked this up because it had Jake Weber in it, who I love, and because I find Michael McKean hilarious. I didn't know what to expect, but I loved it. The comedy is quite clever and had me on the floor quite a few times. The acting is top-notch. Maria Bello is perfect as the femme fatale and makes sure not to go for the jugular in her scenes, brilliantly underplaying them to snare her game. Jake Weber has the dorky family man role down pat. Everything from the shifting of his glasses to his walk to his horrendous shirts. One of the funniest scenes involves him and his wife attempting phone sex.

Don't expect a mastepiece, it's just lightweight entertainment. But it's incredibly well-made, clever, funny, and well-acted.

9/10

This film played a couple of indy festivals -- and Cannes -- and then went straight to video. There's a reason no major studio picked it up. It's mind-numbingly slow to develop. To say nothing of clumsy and derivative. The actors seem either under-prepared or indifferent. Even the usually infallible Michael McKean. Maria Bello, authentically less than pure as the cocktail waitress in "The Cooler," essays a similar role here. But she struggles with this femme fatale turn in the Linda Fiorentino / Kathleen Turner mold. The film's pace picks up in the final half-hour. But the action is no less plausible. One of those movies you wish was better -- but it's not. Writer Huff and director Pillsbury are actors who either aimed low or missed a higher mark.

It has been a minute since I have seen this movie....However, it is still fresh and amazing. Everything about it from the Directing to the Acting to the Script is great!!! Maria Bello is stunning and a totally under rated as an actress...now getting some much deserved recognition from The Cooler. Brent Huff's direction is amazing...what may have been a low budget film comes across like a big budget Hollywood Movie. I highly recommend this film. You will find yourself intently thinking about the subject matter one minute and then rolling on the floor with laughter the next.

I saw this movie on Cinemax and could not stop laughing. David Thornton was hilarious.The movie is so funny because it so realistic when it comes to the details of traveling salesmen. Unfortunately, this movie isn't getting the justice it deserves, but perhaps that is due to an audience that is tainted by our "contemporary" concepts of "comedy" that have nothing to do with reality. Anyone who appreciates comedy revolving around everyday mishaps and cheap pathetic traveling salesmen, will find that the day to day humor is undeniably hilarious. The plot is crafty, albeit it is a dark comedy but its subject matter still retains comedic value for most open-minded audiences. Michael McKean performs a perfect portrayal of a mid-level sales streetwise sales manager and perfectly complements Davis Thornton's cheap alcoholic character Jerry. I thought Maria Bello's performance was nothing much more than average, and definitely not nearly as realistic as McKean and Thornton.