A Hollywood hotshot played by Morgan Freeman, befriends a supermarket cashier just so he can get familiar enough with acting like somebody poor, to get into character for his next movie, and the effort fails miserably.
10 Items or Less (2006)
Tomatometer
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Reviews Counted: 57
Fresh: 35
Rotten:22
Average Rating: 6.2/10
Consensus: A small film that relies too heavily on the charm of its big actors.
Synopsis: Where does a down-on-his-luck movie star go for inspiration when his career has sputtered to a four-year halt? This is the question director/writer Brad Silberling (LEMONY SNICKET'S A SERIES OF UNFORTUNATE EVENTS) poses for his central... Where does a down-on-his-luck movie star go for inspiration when his career has sputtered to a four-year halt? This is the question director/writer Brad Silberling (LEMONY SNICKET'S A SERIES OF UNFORTUNATE EVENTS) poses for his central character--an unnamed actor played by Morgan Freeman--in 10 ITEMS OR LESS. The answer lies amid the cheap cereal packets and decomposing vegetables of a dilapidated grocery store on the outskirts of Los Angeles, a location Freeman travels to so he can research a potential comeback role. Once there he encounters Scarlet (Paz Vega), a Spanish cashier who, terminally bored with her life and job, takes out all her grievances on the unsuspecting customers in her 10-Items-or-Less line. At the end of Scarlet's shift, Freeman's character finds himself stranded in this desolate outpost, so he approaches her and the two strike up a deal--she will give him a ride home, but only after he has shadowed her while she finishes her errands for the day. Freeman draws some well-observed comic material from the fish-out-of-water situations his character finds himself in, and Silberling proves his low-budget directorial chops after working on a number of bigger projects. 10 ITEMS OR LESS is a slight piece, coming in around the 80-minute mark, but the interplay between Freeman and Vega really makes the film, with the two actors finding a meaningful balance in the serious and amusing material Silberling has written for them. While Freeman's work is typical of the high quality expected of him, Vega is a revelation. Her feisty, occasionally downtrodden, and remarkably beautiful interpretation of Scarlet provides a strong indication of her potential as an actress, and bigger things will surely follow. [More]
Starring: Morgan Freeman, Paz Vega, Jonah Hill, Bobby Cannavale
Starring: Morgan Freeman, Paz Vega, Jonah Hill, Bobby Cannavale, Leonardo Nam, Kumar Pallana, Jim Parsons, Emiliano Torres
Director: Brad Silberling
Director: Brad Silberling
Producer: Julie Lynn, Lori McCreary
Composer: Antonio Pinto
Studio: ThinkFilm
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Reviews for 10 Items or Less
This is a dazzling piece of character study, set to a breezy, charming tone.
filled with tiny moments that are instantly amusing, then immediately forgotten when the movie's over.
It's ultra low-key as only indie films can be, but there's enough charm and warmth to fill the spaces left by the 'missing' action.
This slight piece of work, written and directed by Brad ilberling, has some amusing moments and thanks to the great chemistry between Freeman and Vega is perhaps more enjoyable than it should be.
...worth discovering, and it can be discovered by each person who watches it, no matter how many reviews are read, no matter how many friends see it and recommend it. It's just that kind of movie.
...Rachman’s film makes the case that under the right circumstances anger and outrage and defiance are an art form unto themselves.
So often the bearer of gravitas and dignity, Freeman shows up with a smirk on his face and a song in his heart
10 Items or Less is a cinematic smoothie: refreshing, light, insubstantial.
This is a sharp little slice of whimsy with Freeman giving a funny, very laid-back and sometimes touching performance.
As modest and indie-ish as you can get with the delightfulMorgan Freeman flirting with the lovely Paz Vega.
A light-hearted and feel-good independent film about two strangers who connect in a way that surprises both of them and enriches their lives: it's one of the best films of the year.
[Morgan] Freeman is clearly enjoying himself, but his charisma and heavyweight presence can't quite redeem this featherweight concoction.
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