I had high hopes for this film, because I love Vince Vaughn in a dramatic role, but this film just didn't showcase it well. Frankly it was just really boring. The tension didn't run high enough. You need an emotional investment in the characters in order to care what's going to happen when the proverbial sh*t hits the fan, and these characters don't have enough depth. Plus it's all very predictable...if you watched Boiler Room you have an idea where the film is going to go, but even that didn't pay off, because the downfall is too abrupt. And it's hard to feel sorry for Vaughn's character when he gets screwed at the end...he knew what he was getting into, he didn't trust the boss, and he was right, but he went along anyway. Very disappointing.

This is a great movie with a great cast however Vince Vaughn gives perhaps his best dramatic performance to date. Unlike Will Ferrel, Vaughn can do both comedy and drama.

This is a great movie thats shows us the real sleazy and corrupt world of telemarketing. In fact if your a telemarketer watching this film , youll probably be mad since it exposed your corrupt jobs!! lol

Vaughn plays Penny Wise, a small but great telemarketer who knows how to con people into making sales for his cheap company.

Eventually a bigger telemarketing scheme headed by the character of Ed Harris wants to use Penny's "skills" in this area to pull of a Million Dollar scam.

Meanwhile Penny's friend is out of work and relies on him for support.

Penny is caught in a corner, work with this rich white scoundrels to steal millions and sell his soul to the devil , so to speak, or do the right thing?

This a great movie about moral dilemna and what you really do if you really had to put your money where your mouth and live up to your own idealogies.

All the performances are great and the movie, doesn't really tell you what Penny's "final decision" will be until the 10 minutes he "goes along" with the scam and looks like he will do it with the rest of them.

Highly recommended.

if you're looking for a pure heist film, this one is only average; i'd recommend the argentinian "nine queens." i think the prime gig goes somewhat deeper. the relationship between penny and the old lady is realized very gracefully in just a few minutes. vince vaughn shows some really impressive range here. the ending leaves you a little flat, but i think it's fitting. why spend 5 bucks to rent the movie when you can buy it for just 10? it's definitely worth it.

An average movie about a small-time high-talent phone con man who gets a break and chance at the 'big time' in his professions. No more squeezing out twenty-five and fifty dollar orders after he joins on as a salesman at new firm hocking the next big investment deal to widows, retirees, and anyone with enough in the bank.

Filled with quirky characters and stereotypes the office is the battlefield where only the best can hack it.

A few rolls in the hay with the boss's chick and a couple of sales later the end comes crashing down.

Nice idea, kind of cute, would not rent it again though.

Tuesday, August 20, 2002
11:52 HRS.

SUBJECT: Review of "Prime Gig" Independent Pictures 2001.
Directed by: Greg Mosher
Written by: William Wheeler

Overview: Rent, no purchase.

I recently rented the video "Prime Gig". I rented the video because the trailer for the video looked intriguing; fair enough that is the purpose of the trailer. The basic plot of the movie is man vs. environment. The plot follows a telemarketer by the name of Pendleton "PENNY" Wise (Vince Vaughn). The movie opens with main character working in a Telemarketing firm selling "Vacation deals" on phone list. This telemarketing firm goes out of business. Broke and out of work/unemployed. Penny is making contact with two "headhunters" in bar. The headhunter give him a lead for Kelly Grant ( Ed Harris, Apollo 13,Truman Show, The Right Stuff) Kelly plays a call center manager, for a mining company that needs working capital to extract gold from an open pit mine in Arizona. The subplot of this movie is a love interest between the main character Penny and Caitlin (Julia Ormand, Sabrina), Caitlin plays a floor supervisor, and she admits she is an illegal alien from England. She manipulates Penny into marrying her to avoid being deported; she subsequently raids Penny's bank account and cleans him out.

The problem I have with this plot is that there are highly reputable business's that use telemarketing as a tool to make contact with the public. Another flaw in the plot was, I saw no indication that the main character gave access or converted his savings account into joint status. Why didn't Penny diversify out of savings into other financial services like bonds, Mutual Funds. Penny was losing purchasing power on his money. Also, Penny's bank is now liable for the unauthorized withdraw. The deposits are protected under Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation, there is $100,000.00 cap. It was documented that his balance was $78,000.00, game over file a claim against the FDIC. Rest of world, this movie is worth renting, but do not buy.

The opinions expressed in this review are that of Big AL, and not necessarily those of anywhere this is posted or its sponsors. Thank god for the 1st Amendment of United States Constitution.