"Price Check"

Premieres

*** (three stars)

The Queen of the Indies, Parker Posey, returns to Sundance in a role that seems made for her - a bit of a lunatic, a bit of a monster, a bit of a nut.

At the center of director/screenwriter Michael Walker's film is Pete (Eric Mabius), a good guy with a great wife (Annie Parisse), a 3-year-old son and a rather boring, low-paying job. Pete lacks anything approaching ambition, but he does put his family first.

Enter Susan (Posey), Pete's new boss. To call her determined doesn't even begin to describe her. This is a woman who throws herself on the floor and kicks and screams in the presence of the CEO to get what she wants. And she awakens the dormant ambition inside Pete.

What will Pete do to get ahead? What will he give up? Will he find himself? Or will he lose himself?

And is Susan the craziest boss ever?

There's a lot to like about "Price Check." It's genuinely funny, and it will make you think. You'll have to think, because Walker left the ending completely open to interpretation.

Posey is great, and if you only know Mabius as "Ugly Betty's" boss, you're in for a surprise.

The film does sometimes look like it was shot in 16 days. Which it was. But, hey, isn't that what indie filmmaking is all about?

-- Scott D. Pierce