10 Items or Less Reviews

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