I particularly want to applaud Gabriel Diani for not overplaying too much…except for one or two scenes where overplaying is, frankly, called for. Diani also wrote the movie, and working from his script, Etta Devine creates a character who in a bigger budget movie would be a manic pixie dream girl, with whom sex or even the mere *promise* of same would heal and encourage the lead at his lowest point. Ginger Sparks--it's a movie name, but one I'm willing to let go because she seems like the kind of woman who would change her real name to that- -has a bit more substance. She's not fully formed yet; we don't get enough hints as to who she is or what her interests are when not serving the plot. But I'd like to see her character return...preferably in a better structured script; in a film directed by someone who better knows how to film a joke.Credit where it is due: It's a pet peeve of mine when films try to replace dialogue with references to other films. As if characters sitting around paraphrasing movies were inherently funny. This movie contains almost nothing of that, though an early invoking of Ferris Bueller made me tense for a few seconds. Later, when a line comes that does play off a classic movie quote, it caught me *completely* off-guard and made me snort with laughter. Well played. Unfortunately, it's the funniest part of the script, which otherwise fails to find a satisfactory balance between scares and humor; never quite delivering everything it promises.A misfire by clearly talented people, whose names I intend remembering (luckily, they're pretty memorable).

The Selling is a brilliant, expertly crafted film. The script is extremely well written, the dialogue is funny, fast and realistic, the actors welcome us into the story and are hilariously believable (the real-estate office scenes and open house scenes will be highly amusing to those familiar with buying or selling a home). And the direction of this film is superb.Going into the theatre to see this movie I assumed an independent film would have special effects that would be slightly amateurish. They weren't. They were wonderful! And they pack a scare, so be mindful if there are kids under 8 or 9 watching with you.Director Emily Lou's pacing is marvelous. This is a funny horror story - it's meant to be both, and that's a tricky thing to do. The tense build up to scary moments are perfectly mixed with the lighter laughs and the "over the top, screams for laughter" moments as well. This kind of thing could have been a disaster, but the pacing is expertly managed here. There's a story within a story and that is handled beautifully as well. The performances are nuanced and bring us into the fun, and those of us old enough to remember Barry Bostwick in Rocky Horror will delight at his appearance here. Gabriel Diani is a gem and that rare performer who deftly handles humour, horror, angst and tenderness with ease.Definitely see this movie. You'll have a little fright, a lot of laughs and most importantly, you will care about these people.

I loved the industrious, down to earth character, with the unbelievable name of Richard Scarry. His partner Dave with an opposite personality type, played a perfect foil. The quirky character Ginger increased their interest of the story. Richard's mom and Richard's priest from childhood are played by big name stars Nancy Lenehan & Barry Bostwick. Richard and Dave play real estate agents who want to buy a fixer upper, with a plan to fix and flip. An unscrupulous agent in their office sells an unmarketable property to them. As they start renovations, they discover why the property is under priced. When they hold an open house, their clients run the gamut of real estate shoppers. The hideous situation turns into a hysterical comedy! This little independent film gave me more huge guffaws, than most studio comedies. This is a must see!

The Selling is a great example of the Little Movie That Could. With a small budget, a first-time director, and a cast of mostly unknowns; it COULD have been a disaster. Most films with these conditions end up with bad acting, predictable dialogue, and aren't over soon enough. But The Selling avoids all of these pitfalls and just chugs right along, and ends up being a delightful, entertaining movie with heart (complete with pumping blood) and just enough laughs to keep older kids and adults alike entertained throughout. Written by and starring Gabe Diani, the movie is filled almost equally with suspense and horror as much as it is slapstick humor and dialogue that would make Abbott and Costello proud. First time director Emily Lou keeps the pace going and makes it seem like this under-exposed cast has been working together for years.Told without a swear word, this is a GREAT movie for families, although it may be unsuitable for the wee ones due to the blood & scary scenes as well as a quick drug references.Over all, I gave this movie an 9 out of 10. Not bad at all for some first-time film makers, and I have the feeling its only going to get better from here.