DVD delivers ‘The Goods’

Published 4:47 pm Tuesday, December 8, 2009



By Chris Castillo

Special to the News

Noureen DeWulf loves a good comedy. That is why she was so impressed after the premier of “The Goods: Live Hard, Sell Hard.” When the lights came up, Barbra Streisand said, “Hey, you are the political science stripper.”

Streisand summed up her character in three words: political science stripper, DeWulf joked during a recent telephone interview.

The “Goods” follows the story of four auto sales mercenaries who do what it takes to sell cars by any means possible, DeWulf explained. They have three days to sell every care on a dying auto lot, and they’ll use legal and not-so-legal tactics to get the job done.

This adult comedy delivers with a clever, yet crude script and an awesome ensemble cast.

DeWulf was ecstatic to star with the likes of Jeremy Piven (“Entourage”) and Ving Rhames, two of the renegade auto salesmen who will stop at nothing to sell a car. She plays the love interest of Rhames.

DeWulf and a few other exotic dancers are hired to make the clients comfortable while they are deciding what car to buy. Of course, Don Ready (Piven) easily pegs her as a stripper paying her way through graduate school.

Co-produced by Will Ferrell, Robert Ebert called the film “a lot of laughs.” Ferrell even has a cameo in “The Goods” – a highlight of the movie.

This isn’t DeWulf’s first taste of success. Her first film, “West Bank Story,” screened at the Sundance Film Festival. She starred in the live-action short, which later won an Oscar.

DeWulf, who has been seen on the pages of “Maxim,” has starred in “CSI: New York.” “Numbers,” “Curb Your Enthusiasm” and most recently “Ghosts of Girlfriends Past,” starring Jennifer Garner and Matthew McConaughey. It also starred Michael Douglas and Ann Archer.

Her new film, “The Taqwacores,” also will screen at Sundance. She stars as Rabeya in a film about Muslim punk rockers, she said.

DeWulf also will star in the comic parody “The 40 Year Old Virgin Who Knocked Up Sarah Marshall and Felt Superbad About It,” expected in theaters next year. She explains it is a comic spoof like “Scary Movie.” The film pays homage to popular, yet crude comedies.

In “The Goods,” it was “awesome” to work with Ving Rhames. “He is a great actor.” One of the funnies parts of the film, in her opinion, was a subplot about a rival car salesman who is in a boy band. She found the boy band hilarious.

The set of “The Goods” had a fun atmosphere. “It was like a circus,” she said. But, when it was time to work, everything fell into place.

“I’m staring in the kind of movie that I like to watch,” she said. “I do a lot of comedy. There is something addictive about making people laugh.”

She said acting has its highs and lows. She has starred in diverse roles, which has helped her stretch as an actor.

“Acting in an interesting business,” she said.

DeWulf said she enjoys praise and good reviews, but that isn’t what drives her. She just does what she loves. Good reviews and complements are a blessing, but that isn’t why she acts.  “I love to get good reviews, but that isn’t why I’m an actor.”

When “West Bank Story” hit Sundance, she was elated. “It is a moment I’ll never forget.”

She is overwhelmed that her new indie, “The Taqwacores,” was accepted at Sundance. That’s a critical accomplishment, she said.

During “Ghosts of Girlfriends Past,” she had her own trailer. Performing in her recent indie, the actors had folding chairs and used an abandoned school bus on the lot during shooting.            

Chris Castill writes Reel News, a column focusing on DVD releases, indie films and entertainment.

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