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List Price: $14.98 | | Label: First Look Pictures
Salesrank: 15046
Released: April 24, 2007 |
| Our Price: $3.31 |
| Used Price: $0.47 |
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MPAA Rating: R (Restricted)
Media: DVD |
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Editorial Review:
Once the center of Hollywood, an aging actor finds that his fear of failure has made his career dry up, and he’s now forced to consider a role in a small independent movie. While researching for the role, he stumbles into Scarlet, a spitfire check out clerk at a Latino community market. Soon abandoned by his driver, the world famous actor must rely on Scarlet to lead him back to his side of the tracks. This trek through Los Angeles features richly unexpected situations, chance encounters, and personal revelation that neither character could ever have anticipated.
Description of 10 Items or Less:
Morgan Freeman isn't really in every movie that's been made recently; it only seems that way. And considering the variety of roles he's had, it's perhaps appropriate that he plays himself in 10 Items or Less. Well, not exactly--Freeman's character has no name, but he is a recognizable actor who's also known as a voice-over specialist, and several references are made to a movie he made with Ashley Judd (although its title is neither Kiss the Girls nor High Crimes, two actual Freeman-Judd flicks). As directed and written by Brad Silberling (Lemony Snicket's A Series of Unfortunate Events, plus a long list of TV credits), the actor is considering taking a part as a store manager in an indie production (his first film role in four years--nudge nudge, wink wink). His research brings him to Archie's Ranch Market, a grim spot in featureless Carson, California, where he meets Scarlet (Paz Vega, Spanglish), who handles the titular check-out line, a dead-end job which, added to her terrible marriage, makes for one unhappy rancher. Finding himself stranded at the store (his driver has vanished, he can't get his agent on the phone, and he doesn't even know his own home number), the gregarious actor takes the feisty, smart-mouthed Scarlet under his wing, prepping her for an interview for a better job, pitching in when she takes her Gremlin to a car wash, helping her pick out some new duds at Target (where the rich movie star discovers the many wonders of discount retailing), and generally bringing her out of her funk; the two bond, and she drives him back to Brentwood. Story-wise, that's about it, which makes the film almost entirely character-driven. That's not a bad thing by any means, but despite Freeman's and Vega's winning performances, 10 Items or Less is little more than a slight, amusing diversion. --Sam Graham
10 Items or Less Reviews:
A sweet fairy tale 
2009-09-05 - After passing this film up many times on cable I finally just let it play when it came on and, wow, was I surprised. Sure, this is no slice of reality, but it is a sweet reflection of what may happen once in a while. Morgan Freeman plays his charming self and I hope to see Paz Vega in more films. A couple of other things: this was made really and truly on location. LA is filmed in LA. Brentwood is filmed in Brentwood. Carson is really Carson. For once filmmakers do not assume that no one from the place in question is ever going to see their movie. I'm a Morgan Freeman fan to start with, but after this like him even more.
Pure fun: pleasant, light, entertaining and unpretentious 
2009-08-26 - Morgan Freeman stars in this lightweight, very pleasant vehicle. Freeman is referred to as "Him" in the script. No, this is not a parody of the recent political campaign. It is the story of an out-of-work, but still famous, actor dropped off by an airhead driver at a neighborhood grocery in the midst of Carson, California, which looks like an run down town, to research a role in a potential independent film. Freeman is in a slough of self-doubt and despair. When he sees copies of his old movies being heavily discounted on DVD, he buries them deep in the display.
He meets Paz Vega, who mans - er, womans - the "10 Items Or Less" lane. She is brash, angry, frustrated, wrapped up in a lousy marriage where her husband's lover works in the same store, is convinced that life is a dead end.
Freeman and Vega form an unlikely alliance. He has no way to find his way back home to Brentwood - a highly unlikely experience - and she has to go to an interview that she is convinced will get her nowhere.
Thus begins a series of light adventure in which both Freeman and Vega expand their horizons.
This is a fun, light film. Freeman is Freeman playing Freeman and, unsurprisingly, he does it quite well. He waltzes through his scenes with an appealing lightness. Vega works hard as the bitter woman looking for a better life, while she is sure that she is not entitled to anything more than life in the "10 items or less" lane.
The ending is pleasing. The whole film is pleasing.
No great revelations here. Just a nice, pleasant film.
Jerry
As good as it gets!!
2009-08-06 - Its a great movie, actually its a "road" movie, like
Midnight Run, but instead of Robert De Niro and Charles
Grodin moving around you get Morgan Freeman and Paz Vega.
Ms. Vega is a very sharp, but bitter cashier in a
Latino grocery store who doesn't care much for people.
She is constantly snapping and barking at every customer in
the store, and never smiles.
Morgan Freeman plays a "known" movie star who hasn't worked
for a while and happens upon Paz Vega, (a/k/a Scarlett Morales)
while he is researching the role of a Latino grocery store
manager.
The second Morgan Freeman lays eyes on Paz Vega, he is
totally charmed by her. The funny thing is all she
does is snap at everyone, and throughout the entire movie
you can't help but be charmed by her too.
Disappointing film that could have been better 
2009-04-15 - Just saw this on TV, and have happily now erased it. With a good script, this could have been an interesting film. It's a "very thin cup of tea" of a movie. All too thin. A good scriptwriter could have done something with the idea and given the characters something interesting to do and say. My advice: rent it before you buy it.
Aimless, a few cute scenes, high snooze factor 
2009-01-10 - A rambling movie without a point (except for gather thee roses, dully stated) and long scenes of watching people check out, make pay phone calls, ride down rodes. A few mildly cute scenes save it from the dust bin of 1 star reviews, and of course Morgan's presence always adds a bit of gaiety. I've yet to see Paz Vega act. As usual she just stands around as a Hispanic stereotype. Dreadful movie with zero chemistry besides Morgan's coy smile.
