10 Items or Less
You know, there is a difference between small indie film and a low budget movie where nothing happens. If you take what should be a short subject and pad it out to be a feature it’s just not going to fly, I don’t care how cute it is. Trust me, this movie couldn’t possibly get any more adorable. I’m fairly certain if I sat it up next to my baby niece I wouldn’t be able to tell them apart.
After not working for a couple years an unnamed actor (Freeman) has taken a role in a small indie film and in preparation he is hanging around a run down grocery story. Whilst observing locals and mimicking the manager, he meets Scarlet (Vega). The feisty cashier has reached a dead end in her life and after being stranded the actor decides to make it his mission to help her find her true potential.
Morgan Freeman is playing a character who is essentially himself, even down to hiding copies of the movie he made with Ashley Judd. Although I’m not sure if he really is playing himself or the public’s perception of who he is since he walks around being lovably charming and giving sage-like advice to everyone he meets. We all like Morgan Freeman, I get it. Wouldn’t it be more interesting if he played himself as a complete a**hole? Without Paz Vega there is no film here. Even though this is supposed a movie about two people who are randomly thrust together, it’s her story that we are following. Whereas Morgan Freeman walks around laughing and smiling, her character is the only one with legs. That being said, if you ask me Danny DeVito and Rhea Pearlman have the best five seconds in this whole movie.
Ok my main beef is the musical montages. 10 Items or Less runs about eighty minutes and it’s pretty obvious these things are in here just to stretch the film out. There’s only a couple but the five minutes we spend watching Morgan Freeman wash cars and Paz Vega put on makeup not only drags but devolves into just being silly. I know we’re talking about a light hearted fluffy movie but there’s light hearted and just over the top goofy. Besides I don’t buy Morgan Freeman washing cars no matter how nice and detached he is from the common folk any more than I buy the fact that Paz Vega isn’t stunningly beautiful.
I really want to like this movie, but I can’t fully embrace it. 10 Items or Less is cute and it’s nice to have a movie where two strangers come together and enjoying each others company without some forced romance getting in the way. Unfortunately, this movie only works because those people are Morgan Freeman and Paz Vega. Let’s face it when one of the two people is literally one of the planets favorite actors and the other is one of its most attractive actresses, then how could you expect them to not spend the afternoon together? Sadly, the rest of us don’t have a chance of getting along this well.
The Grade
- Story: C
- Acting: C
- Visuals: B
- Originality: B
- Enjoyability: B-
- Overall: B-
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