Office Humor and Romance Mix
Outside Sales Makes a Winning Pitch

The office setting has been a staple of situation comedy since the days of television's The Mary Tyler Moore Show. In recent years, the television show The Office has become a breakaway hit, and the film Office Space has become something of a cult phenomenon. Adding to this list now is a quirky story of sales rivalry and inter-office romance in the independent feature Outside Sales.

Outside Sales
Paul (Lucas Fleischer, left) has to compete for his job with a new sales rep (Tricia O'Kelley) in the independent comedy Outside Sales. (Secret Identity Productions, 2006)
Directed by: Blayne Weaver
Written by: Blayne Weaver
Starring: Lucas Fleischer, Tricia O'Kelley, Brandon Barrera, Andrea Grano, Rob Helms, and Blayne Weaver

Rated Not Rated
Running time: 90 min.

FilmGuru's Rating : 8 out of 10.

At first glance, Outside Sales may seem like a run-of-the-mill independent movie. It starts off small with the cast talking to the camera and giving their sales pitches. As Paul (Lucas Fleischer) narrates the story, he details his fall from the top of the sales ladder when he discovers his wife cheating on him with his co-worker, Kirk (Blayne Weaver).

If his personal troubles weren't enough, Paul loses a promotion and finds Kirk as his new boss. His friends talk about him, his sales plummet, and he nearly gives up -- until a new employee, Dagny (Tricia O'Kelley) starts work at APT.

While Paul's dysfunctional response to his wife's affair is amusing, it seems a bit unrealistic. Even Paul's friend Cap (Brandon Barrera) makes note of how pathetic he is, asking why he hasn't quit the company and moved away. It all works, though, when we see Paul begin to bounce back in an effort to retain his dignity.

Combining humor with a sweet budding romance, Outside Sales delivers on laughs and surprises. The story has some hilarious moments and offers a few great scenes that will be forever in my memory. Chief among them will be Kirk's rant about the ass print on his Ronald Regan desk.

The acting is wonderful, with excellent performances by Fleischer, O'Kelley, and Weaver. Rounding out the great cast are Andrea Grano and Rob Helms, as Paul's co-workers, and Tara Karsian as Paul's neighbor. A couple of surprise cameos by Danny Strong and Pat Carroll are a treat.

The film, despite being an independent feature, doesn't appear to be low budget. Not only does it have a great script and fine actors, the production is first rate. Lighting, sound, and cinematography are all expertly handled. If I hadn't known this was an independent feature, I wouldn't have guessed it. It is funnier than most of the studio films I see nowadays, and I am pleased to see such a good story make it to film.

For more information about this film, visit their official MySpace page at: www.myspace.com/outsidesales