Movie Review - 10 Items or Less

By James Nova

10 Items or Less, a film by Brad Silberling, is now available to rent or purchase. It is a comedy/drama starring Morgan Freeman and the wonderful Paz Vega (Spanglish). I really had not heard anything about this movie, but I always enjoy Freeman’s work and the story seemed interesting enough. I was in the mood for a quirky movie and this one seemed to fit the bill, so I took a chance.

In 10 Items or Less, Morgan Freeman plays the part of an actor researching the role of a supermarket manager. Known for his roles in detective and buddy cop movies, the once popular actor is looking to perhaps rejuvenate his career with a more substantial part in an independent film. Stranded by his driver at the grocery store he is staking out, he is forced to rely on a stranger for help, setting off a string of events that lead to a rather odd but charming friendship to develop.

His new friend turns out to be a fiery checkout clerk at a Latino market on the fringe of Los Angeles. Scarlet (Paz Vega) is intelligent, outspoken, and intimidating to customers. She is a no nonsense employee who basically runs the place through common sense and force of will. The actor, completely out of his league in this environment and unable to even make a phone call to get home, turns to Scarlet, who is coming off of a long shift. She reluctantly agrees to give him a ride.

It turns out that Scarlet has her own problems, one of which is getting to a job interview. The actor agrees to be her mentor and help prepare her to ace the interview. The bargain is struck and comedy ensues. They come from disparate backgrounds, but this odd couple finds that they have more in common than they could have possibly imagined. Though the movie has comedic elements, it is more of a drama than a laugh factory. Paz Vega does a very credible job of giving off a sense of desperation through her veneer of bravado. Everything about her surroundings (beautifully captured by the director) and her personal situation seems hopeless. She is determined, however, to at least try to break out of her bleak circumstances.

Freeman, as always, does a wonderful job portraying an aging actor with less than stellar opportunities. There is one scene, where he sees a video of one of the movies he starred in on clearance and tries to hide it, that hit home with me. It had the ring of truth to it. Freeman and Vega play off of each other perfectly, two people in need of change and the courage to make it happen. Refreshingly, their relationship does not blossom into a romance, and they both seem to realize that, at the end of the day, they will never see each other again. The relationship is meaningful beyond words, nonetheless, setting 10 Items or Less apart from the normal summer movie pabulum.

10 Items or Less is not a perfect movie, but it is undeniably charming. Perhaps not for everyone, this movie is a great way to cleanse the movie viewing palette. To me, it was worth watching just to see the chemistry between Morgan Freeman (whose character is never mentioned by name) and Paz. 10 Items or Less is rated ‘R’ for language, which is a shame because, in my mind, it did not serve the script and could have been excised from the dialogue.

On a side note, according to Wikipedia, “10 Items or Less was the first film in history to be legally released for download through the internet while it was still in theaters. ClickStar made the movie available digitally on December 15th, 2006, a mere 14 days after it made its theatrical debut.”

Sometimes in life you have to change lanes – 10 Items or Less.

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Resources for 10 Items or Less
http://www.myriadpictures.com/film.php?film=76

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/10_Items_or_Less_(film)

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