Entertainment

‘Price Check’ review

A hilarious Parker Posey provides her customary blast of brittle energy in “Price Check,” an engaging corporate comedy.

Posey is the new boss at a Long Island firm that crunches data used to maximize sales at a supermarket chain. A struggling family man (Eric Mabius) at the firm is at first startled by her ballsiness but starts to become increasingly intrigued.

Not so long ago, indie films at least could be relied upon to provide an engrossing examination of a specific subculture, though these days the average filmmaker usually lacks a frame of reference besides other films. “Price Check” is replete with detail about grocery-store marketing, though some may find it errs on the side of too much shop talk. Moreover, Mabius’ acting style is subtle to the point of somnolence.

But Posey rules the movie, and a lot of the chatter at the firm — like an R-rated “The Office” — has some comic bite. One middle-aged dweeb complains, “The problem with marriage is that it turns women into wives. Wives don’t put out. And they talk to you like you’re retarded.” Posey’s character, who is from Los Angeles, complains of Long Island, “It’s like the Valley, but the people are pale and yucky. The only place to eat is Friday’s.” Hey, now, that’s not nice.