100 Mile Rule

"One Hundred Mile Rule" turned out to be better than I expected from the very brief and bland synopsis provided. As a Jake Weber fan, I decided to go ahead and watch it, anyway. The three primary men in this movie get embroiled in a mess and don't quite know how to clean it up. If you read the synopsis, you get the general idea, but this movie only really comes together and gets interesting when the guys try to take matters into their own hands, as you may imagine. Maria Bello is seen in an interesting light, much different from her character on ER. It's not a five-star movie, but it's worth checking out for a good laugh, especially for Jake Weber fans.

This is one of those movies where the quality of the acting is far above the material itself. Michael McKean and David Thornton are joys to watch. Also, though the plot is derivative, it is very knowing about business trips and sales people, and if you've ever been on a business trip, you'll find yourself laughing and nodding at many points. The movie never seemed false or strained, just a little weak at the very end. Up to that point, it's an above average investigation of salesmen gone bad. It's a bit like "Very Bad Things" only played more for comedy than for dark drama. Jake Weber, though British, does a very good job playing an American, something that cannot be said of many of his countrymen.

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.

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.

"100 Mile Rule" is a comedy about three Detroit salesmen on business travel who become embroiled in scheming and scamming in L.A. This journeyman little low budget B-flick is a nominal no brainer watch for anyone interested in the something to chill to. Just keep expectations low and don't expect any LOL's. Lightweight entertainment for the male sofa spud sans tit-illators. (C+)