The Prime Gig (Rental)

Riiing Riiing..

“Hello?�

“Hello, can I please speak to Vincent?�

“Speaking...�

“Hello Vincent, I’m calling to let you know about a special deal you’re eligible for...�

“Look, I’m really...�

“...our database has specially selected your name from thousands of residents in your area, so we’d really like to tell you about our deal and then sign you up...�

“I don’t think I...

“Do you ever eat out?�

“What? Er, yes, sometimes...�

“Well, with this special offer you’ll save $10,000 a year alone if you eat out just twice a day! But that’s not all, because if you own a pet, or have a car, or wear pants we can save you even more again! Sounds fantastic, doesn’t it?�

“Well, yeah, sure, but, really, I’m not interes...�

“Then you’ll want to buy out special coupon book! Maybe even two, perhaps one for a family member or friend? Do you have a talking cat? The offer is available for talking cats as well...�

“I’m an orphan and have no friends and my talking cat isn’t talking to me...�

“Each voucher book is valued at over $30,000, but today only we’re able to let you have it for just $29.95! Would you be using American Express or Visa to pay?�

“I didn’t say I was going to...�

“After today, the price will go back up to $29,995, so you might like to purchase a few extra books today to take advantage of this one time only deal.�

“But I don’t have a credit card which I...�

“If you like, we can have someone come around and drive you to the bank to get the money... or perhaps you’d like to use our low low interest rate finance program? Only 200 payments of $69.95 and a weekly interest rate of 34%? What will it be? Remember, we won’t be offer this coupon book in your area for another six weeks, so now is the time to buy, NOW, right now, come on, you know you want it don’t you? It’ll make you feel good it’ll make you special it’ll make you feel wanted and loved and if you don’t we’re going to keep calling you at a bad time like right in the middle of a nice family dinner every day for the rest of your goddamned life! BWAHAHAHAHAHAHAAAAAAAAAAAA...!�

CLICK…

“Hello, Vincent? Are you still there? Hello? Hello? Vincent?... damn.�

Sound familiar?

I hate them. I hate them when they call me at home during dinner. I hate them when they ask if I’d like to buy a book of raffle tickets to sell on their behalf. I hate them when they call me and ask if I have ten minutes to complete a survey on household bleaches or female sanitary products. I hate them, I hate them, I HATE THEM!

C'mon Frank! You didn't mind this so much when we were 6..

So, it’s not surprising that I wasn’t very sympathetic to Vince Vaughn’s character, Pendelton “Penny� Wise, in this film about a low rent phone scam artiste recruited to do telesales for enigmatic and charismatic mysterioso Kelly Grant. Erroneously, the script wants you to believe that behind the smooth talking sleazy veneer of Pendelton is a normal guy with a heart of gold and the normal needs and desires. Yeah, sure, and all prostitutes look like Julia Roberts. I wish.

Opening with a motley cast of characters who people the phone room, this starts off like some wannabe David Mamet movie, with the right dialogue and the right pace. It hooks you quickly, you fall for the language and attitudes. “Hey...� you might say to the person sitting next to you “...this looks like it might be pretty cool. I bet there’s gonna be some cool twists and shifty cons in this later.�

“Will you shut up and just watch the frigging film for a change? I’m sick of you always talking during the good bits! Your reviewing is wrecking our life!� the person says back to you. The person next to you is obviously in a bad mood today.

OH YEAH?! Well mine are THIS BIG, buddy!

Penny, fresh out of a job, is offered the opportunity to take a position with a newly formed team of hotshots working the phones for Grant (Ed Harris). Harris is played out as the Mr. Big of the scam industry, having recently spent time in the can and considered the man to work for when you’re looking for large sums of filthy lucre. Ha! I just realised that some people will think I meant toilet when I said Grant had recently spent time in the can. Maybe he did just spend some time in the toilet, that’s his business, but what I actually meant was that he’s recently spent time in jail. Anyway, going against his better judgement and gut instinct, Pendelton accepts Grant’s offer of employment and so begins his part in drumming up funds for what Grant declares is a legit operation to mine for gold. At the same time, Pendelton falls for Ormond, and the two begin a relationship that no doubt will have some bearing on the success of the programme.

MUMMY! The bad man is going to say a BAD WORD!

There’s some ill-defined subplot which revolves around a disabled lazy brother, or he could be a friend, I don’t recall because it’s nothing more than a lazy attempt at humanising his character, and trying to show that maybe he’s not all bad. Frankly after what he does for a living, it’s a fairly feeble token effort at that. Besides, ethically, Vaughn shows no remorse for the people he bilks out of the hard earned savings, something which renders a later last minute doubt regarding a widow who he is about to swindle for her life saving even more ridiculous.

But the over-riding problem is the loss of momentum about half way in. You expect big things and more cool talk. You get nothing of the sort. It hints and promises, but never pays off. By the third act, you know you’ve been gypped, just like the poor suckers in the film. Maybe that’s the whole point? If it is, I want my money back. But then seeing as how I didn’t pay for this DVD in the first place, I want my time back instead. Although I’d probably just waste that too, so they can keep it.

They’ve squeezed the 2.35:1, 16:9 enhanced transfer onto a single layer disc comfortably enough, seeing as how the trailer is the only extra to suck up picture space and the menu is static. It’s pulled from a reasonably clean print, the odd small and unremarkable blemishes passing by in the blink of an eye if you manage to catch them at all and only a little bit of mild aliasing on the usual objects and line. The Prime Gig won’t win awards, but it also sits comfortably, with nice if sometimes drab colours that are well defined and occasionally enlivened by some punchy hues.

Talk, lots and lots of talk, and no action. Not really much in the way of interesting environmental effects called for either, except for the phone room which calls up a bit of possibility, but this DD 5.1 track basically plops it all down in the centre and front channels and leaves not much else for the other speakers to do. It’s not missed, the talk drives your attention pretty solidly, at least initially anyway, but this isn’t the kind of film which needs anything more dramatic anyhow. It does the job. Also, there isn’t a Dolby Digital 2.0 track as stated on the slick. No biggie, it wouldn’t have hurt this DVD to be in stereo anyway.

A solitary trailer.

The Prime Gig is a misfire that will leave you wanting to watch The Score, Heist, Glengarry Glenross, or any other more competent film based around snappy dialogue. You really get the feeling that Vaughn, Harris and Ormond did this pic in the vain hopes of gaining some ‘indie’ cred, but it’s unlikely this is that vehicle.

The script got too worked up in the first 15 minutes and prematurely blew its load, leaving you in the wet patch for the rest of the film. You’re uncomfortable, tired and frustrated, and no feeble attempt at snuggling up with a twist ending is going to make you think you spent a wild night in the sack.

Give The Prime Gig a miss unless you’re a real die-hard fan of the actors.