The Goods: Live Hard, Sell Hard

Jeremy Piven heads an entourage of hot-shot used car salesmen who are called in to save a flailing family dealership over a long Thanks Giving holiday weekend. As the cocky, ostentatious Don Ready, Piven proves that when it comes to fast talking, sharp shooting scallywaggery, he is fast becoming Hollywood’s go-to guy. Here, however, his character is not so much charismatic as obnoxious and consequently he struggles to keep the engine ticking over. In any case Piven has cruise control engaged from the get go, which considering he manages to carry this insufferable septic tank of a movie solo, doesn’t reflect well on the rest of his crew.

It’s not that the film is poorly cast, more that each member of this odious outfit is simply impossible to relate to, or engage with. In their cultural and ethical disparities, each character’s sub sob-story evokes little empathy, which is hardly surprising when you consider how unimaginative and openly hateful their dialogue is. To describe this film as politically incorrect would be the grossest of understatements, but perhaps worse, and with transgressions aside, it’s hardly thigh slapping stuff either.

Racist, homophobic, misogynistic; The Goods is yet another tactless turn from an out of touch Hollywood. Sheer discordance of character morality and the brazen ignorance of the script make for an uncomfortable watch, while a desperately bewildering cameo from Will Ferrell further fails to salvage this wretched wreckage. In fact, his uncredited appearance is more likely to have you questioning his comedic credentials altogether.

That mainstream cinema continually serves up such offensive offal is one thing, but the fact that the boundaries of taste are challenged with such regularity is made all the more alarming when passed off as harmless fun. Ultimately it is astonishing that such an unintellible, threadbare script was given the go ahead in the first place – a straight to DVD release would have been much more fitting, although even that would be pushing it. Sit through this and you are a true saint. Either that or you’re a redneck.

Adam Woodward

Anticipation:

The Ferrell/McKay production line has picked up the pace of late, but it's been a while since they delivered the goods.

Enjoyment:

Boorish, brash and bollock achingly asinine.

In Retrospect:

Good riddance.