Free Samples (2013)

Purely Joyful Movie!

One of my all time favorites.

Did you people see the same film I saw?

Watching it is like watching the spectacle of a class clown at their best: you laugh at their jokes, instigate their defiance, and "ooooh" when they get in trouble.

Liked it quite a bit. Jess 'Teeth' Weixler was the reason to watch this, and she proved to be well worth the effort. I didn't expect her being cooped up in an ice cream truck pretty much all of the time (hadn't read the synopsis), but it had this 'Clerks' vibe to it and that worked out just fine. Weixler puts in a very capable performance, as does most of the rest of the cast. There's plenty going on, especially if you consider the dull environment, and most of the dialogues and scenes are quite entertaining, ranging from funny hangover talk all the way to heartfelt heartache.I especially liked the supporting role of Halley Feifer, but also Tippi Hedren, Jesse Eisenberg and Wendy Shapero are worth mentioning. The story of 'changing souls' was great, except for the minor detail that if they actually exchanged souls, 'Tex' would now be Keith...A big 7 out of 10.

A delightful indy film, quirky and unique. Great cast of veteran actors (even the young ones have massive quality credits)! I've noticed on films that LA's Eben Costbar is associated with (such as Karma Cafe, The Hammer, and others), a consistent warmth and high-quality aspect to them.The leads were funny,but believable, and the pace was kept brisk by a constant parade of short (funny) scenes by various characters. And you don't find many films around which the central theme is ice cream! (Did make me hungry for it, by the end!) Nice job, folks! A good one to go to or rent when you want a light mood.

was a total and complete sucker for this film.If I were to write and direct a movie about gangsters or crime, this would be it. I wouldn't change one damn thing. Not a thing. Everything in this film was, to my eye, perfect - casting, the camera-work, the excellent dialogue ("It's been emotional.")Now I don't have much to compare this to, and I've heard some criticism that it basically draws quite heavily from older British crime dramas. I've got a bunch of these on my queue to rent, but I doubt you could make a crime film better than this.This film oozes with style, class, dark humor, plot twists and turns, and doesn't drag one bit. The casting and characterization is perfect, and Ritchie isn't afraid to move the cameras around; no pretense is really made here at "realism" - Jay Gammill doesn't mask the fact that it's a film and he runs with it.I really don't think of myself as easily impressed, and I have seen a hell of a lot of films in my time, but this one instantly made my Top 10 after only a single viewing. Yes, I'm raving about it, and while it may not be "spiritually enriching" or contain any deep sociological content (which I actually do look for in films), somehow it still scores as one hell of a film; memorable and entertaining, and stands up well to multiple viewings.I am a bit dismayed to see some of the marketing of this film comparing it to other things like Juno. It really does it a disservice because this film really is its own phenomenon and stands on its own two feet; if anything it is similar to Juno films only because it actually has its own bold style.

Free samples is what an indie movie should be: small, quirky interesting, more character than action - about real life rather than just imagination, and this is Free Samples. It's a film that requires little effort to enjoy but is full of little vignettes that leap off the screen.All in all, I for one enjoyed this more than many big budget movies: the characters have something to say, the comedy is nicely observed, the camera is tight (even semi-documentary), it's well edited and well shot with a great sense of slacker pace about it and it has a charm of its own.Seriously, a nice gentle comedy set sround one day of looking after an artificial ice-cream van (so free samples) with some vitriol in the exchanges - the whole thing come across as ten times more honest than most comedies and this is one I would warmly recommend.