Are you surprised to learn that I'm still flogging flicks that I saw at the Toronto International Film Festival in September? I think it's pretty darn awesome that I can gather enough fodder from 10 days of movie going to write blogs for almost 3 months. And the best part is that most of the movies I saw are only being released lately. Such is the case with 10 Items or Less.



This new movie starring Morgan Freeman and Paz Vega is in limited release right now and I'm hoping for a wide release within a few weeks. Please do not confuse this great flick with the terrible program that TBS has recently foisted on us of the same name:



The movie and the TV show share a name and nothing else. I actually tried watching the stupid half hour on TBS recently and couldn't even last 10 minutes. I really hope that the arrival of the ridiculous program doesn't negatively impact people's impressions of the movie. Where the waste of TV time is all about the meandering cast working in a family grocery store, the movie is about an actor on the verge of a come-back who spends a day researching for a new role and in the process befriends a grocery store clerk. Doesn't really quite sound all that intriguing but trust me, the film itself is captivating.



Morgan Freeman plays the actor who really lives in his own little world and sees things in a way that can impact everyone around him, usually in a positive way. It's not a huge feat of acting for Freeman, in fact it seems like more of a fun role that allows him to build on aspects of his own personality and maybe that's why it works so well. His quirkiness is completely endearing and makes the audience want to be the one to get to spend the day with his character.



A buddy film isn't a buddy film without a second half of the duo and in 10 Items or Less Morgan Freeman's buddy is played by Paz Vega. Most known for her role opposite Adam Sandler in Spanglish, she looks like Penelope Cruz but I like her way better. They friendship grows slowly in the movie and not without hesitation as the last thing Paz's character wants to do is help Morgan Freeman. But the reluctance only adds to the payoff when they finally do click.

You may find that not a whole lot actually happens in this movie. People with short attention spans may find it slow. There's no real action, just a lot of talking and some neat little ways that the film maker draws the audience into the lives of the characters and more importantly into the world in which they inhabit. It's not so different from the world we all live in every day but somehow Morgan Freeman's character finds a way to see it in a new way. His character never goes by a name: he's always referred to in a general sense as "That Actor" or something to that effect. I like that they never gave him a name.

So, long story short: keep your eyes open for the theatrical release of 10 Items or Less at a theatre near you. Do not confuse it with the crappy show on TBS. Go see it to get swept into a story. Nothing more, nothing less. A great story with some great actors and some fantastic characterization. I will see it again for sure.

-Minx.