|
Believe
the Movie |
 To order your copy of Beleive on DVD click here .11/19/2007: I finally received a much awaited screener's copy of the movie "Believe" from Loki Mulholland. Needless to say I had to watch it as soon as I got it. Mulholland was an Amway distributor for four years so the film is filled with all the typical lines Amway/Quixtar distributors say. The movie is filmed as a mocking documentary ("mockumentary") where a camera man follows the characters around interviewing them and recording their personal lives. The movie does a great job of showing the fake friendships, rubber smiles, and empty confidence that one encounters in the Amway/Quixtar business. The films shows all the things associated with the business from open meetings in cheap hotel conference rooms, distributors shooting themselves with the company's breath spray, cupboards filled with the MLM company's products, to stacks of motivational tapes. The movie is filled with tons of subtle things only insiders to the business would recognize and can laugh at.
There are even a few scenes with ex-believers in therapy sessions to get over their MLM addition where they were told: "It is even ok to like someone, even if they don't make you money"!
The film even has mock interviews with a cult expert, Dr. Felix Phillips as well as the state attorney general who is dead set on nailing Howard Flash, the big tool system guy. The soundtrack is catchy and I think the movie will be popular with ex-MLM'ers but it will be foreign to people who have had no contact with MLM. Other reviews of the movie: Interviews with the Director: |
The actors do a
super job of portraying their MLM characters. My favorite characters are the the
ever-faithful, but unprofitable distributors, Dan and Sandy Bretenheimer (left). Dan
is constantly prospecting for new recruits and is handing out his business cards to anyone
and everyone he sees. Sandy is the supportive wife who originally got Dan in the
business to "break him out of his shell". You will get some laughs
watching Dan at work prospecting. Dan prospects the pizza delivery boy to the
girl working the drive window at the fast food place. Dan lucks out at the end of
the film. 
The movie has to make
some difficult transitions. There are the truly comical scenes like, where Tom Hawks
(left) is prospecting the waiter in the diner where he and his wife Amy are eating, to the
dead serious issues, such as the marital stress scene between Tom and Amy, where Amy ends
up leaving Tom. There is also a scene where Tom tells his boss to shove his job.
The movie
actually pokes fun at all sides of the MLM controversy; from the distributors themselves
to the State Attorney General, MLM business critics, and even cult experts.