Free Samples (2013)

This flick is a privilege to see! It's a complete movie, no gaps, no uncertain scenes, no faulty characters. And it's just a simple - one day in the life of - type of story.The main character 'Jillian' has reached a wall in her life and is at a loss on how to break through this barrier. She is asked by her friend 'Nancy' for a short favor. Jillian reluctantly agrees to help and in doing so learns a life lesson about herself and others that she believes to be her friends.The greatest asset to this film is the fantastic dialog the actors expertly deliver and the smooth crisp editing! Even the little children briefly seen are at their best before the camera. And Tippi Hedron as Betty the aged and former movie star is just perfection!I cannot praise this flick enough as I see it as quite perfect start to finish. Bravo Jay Gammill !!!

'FREE SAMPLES': Two Stars (Out of Five)Pointless and annoying indie comedy film about a law student dropout who goes back home to Los Angeles to 'find herself' and runs her friend's ice cream truck for a day. The film was written by first time feature film writer Jim Beggarly and directed by first time feature film director Jay Gammill. It stars Jess Weixler and features cameos by Jesse Eisenberg, Jason Ritter, Matt Walsh, Whitney Able, Halley Feiffer and Tippi Hedren. The supporting cast is the film's one saving grace but I found Weixler's character (which is in every scene of the movie) to be highly annoying and depressing.Weixler plays Jillian, a Stanford law-school dropout who moves back home to Los Angeles to figure out what she wants in life. The film takes place all in one 24-hour period and begins with Jillian getting wasted at a bar one evening (while hanging out with her friends). She's been on a six-month break from her boyfriend and meets a young man, she calls Tex (Eisenberg), who asks her out on a date (but forgets him when she's sober). The next morning she agrees to fill in for her friend Nancy (Feiffer) at her job, running an ice cream truck for the day, so Nancy can go to a family drug intervention for her brother. Jillian spends the day dealing with crazy customers and old friends as she argues with everyone and feels sorry for herself. I like character driven movies (where nothing really eventful happens) but I have to care about the characters in some way. Jillian here is way too negative and antagonistic (to everyone she meets). While filling in for her friend she probably ruined her business and scared away all the customers! Why should I care what happens to her? In the end she of course comes to some kind of a revelation and seems like she might change but it isn't very convincing and seems tacked on. Her overwhelming cynicism makes the whole movie seem cynical but most of all it's just annoying. I couldn't stand the main character. Eisenberg, Ritter and a few others are likable in the film but their parts are way too brief and underdeveloped. Most of all the movie felt like a film for trolls (all about how trolls live and torment others). I don't want to see a movie like that.Watch our movie review show 'MOVIE TALK' at: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6JDL6l-UAwQ

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.

I saw this film at the Newport Film Festival; and I found it quite entertaining and enjoyable. The film takes place over the course of one day and follows Jillian (Jess Weixler) as she works in an ice cream truck in order to help out a friend. Jillian is in a place of transition in her life and in a dark place of uncertainty. After dropping out of law school, she is coming to a crossroads that she is not expecting. She discovers the truth about her fiancé, which ultimately leads her to discover the truth about herself.Although Jillian may not be the most pleasant character in a film, I found her to be someone I can relate to. Everyone goes through times of uncertainty and doubt, but many people try to hide those tough times and Jillian does not. She is an honest character and tells it as it is from her perspective, which I have to respect. She is not concerned about the consequences and has a quiet boldness about her. As time progresses, she begins to open up and connect with some the customers that cross her path. Jess Weixler does a great job capturing the frustration and uncertainty of Jillian without being irritating. Weixler is definitely someone I will be keeping my eye on as she continues in her acting career. It was also nice to see Jesse Eisenberg play the confident love interest, which just demonstrates his versatility as an actor. The appearance of Jason Ritter, Halley Feiffer and Tippi Hedren add more dimension to the film. The small roles by Jordan Davis and Wendy Shapero caught my special attention.In addition to the acting, I greatly enjoyed the music which was scored by Eric Elbogen of "Say Hi". It was simple and not overdone which matched the overall tone of film. And it was enough to be noticed, but balanced enough not take anything away from the film. The camera-work by Reed Morano is very well done and the direction by newcomer Jay Gammill should also be applauded.