December 1, 2006, - 4:17 pm

Weekend Box Office: Dull, Low-Budget Morgan Freeman Pic

By Debbie Schlussel
The only new release, this week, that I screened is a low-budget, indie film, “10 Items or Less,” starring Morgan Freeman.
It was okay, but mostly dull. It did not pass the Schlussel sleep test. Viewing it, I fell asleep . . . twice. I really have nothing against the film. It’s just that it’s boring, and there really was no point in making it. Watching it will not enhance your life. I normally like Freeman. He’s a very talented actor, but that doesn’t make much difference in a pointless ennui-pinata of a film, as this one is.

tenitemsorlessmovieposter.jpg

It’s the story of a has-been movie star (Freeman) who is doing research at a supermarket in a run down L.A. neighborhood for a possible film. He meets a Hispanic check-out girl (who “mans” the “10 Items or Less” lane) and befriends her. Freeman’s character, whose last action movie is marked down at every store they go to, tells her that everything is in “the staging” and that he’ll help her get the job for which she’s about to interview.
They go around L.A. to her trailer to get her car, to Target to get her some clothes, to the car wash to spiff up her car, etc.–all in pursuit of a job interview for her for a better job. They become friends. So what? No reason to care about these people (she is apparently an illegal alien) or care about their jaunts to dull places to do errands we all do on a daily basis. Simply not interesting.
Hum. Drum. zzzzzzzzzzzzz.




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5 Responses

Morgan Freeman IS dull. He plays the same character over and over and over. I can’t imagine wanting to see him in a movie. Snoozefest.

lexi on December 1, 2006 at 11:07 pm

I agree, he’s overrated and does play the same guy over and over. Same goes for Jack Nicholson, Tom Cruise (always as the earnest truth seeker), and Clint Eastwood these days.
These days, Hollywood is so lacking in creativity I can pretty much guess the plot of the movie as soon as the cast is shown. Eastwood and Freeman are always the wise, grizzled old guys mentoring someone, Nicholson is the sly, “cool and sort of wicked” guy, Cruise is the super sincere earnest “I want the TRUTH!!” guy, Julia Roberts is the sweetheart, etc. and etc.

The_Man on December 2, 2006 at 2:27 pm

I like the guy and all, but damn just looking at that movie poster told me the flim would be boring. LOL, I like how you said the girl was an illegal alien.
Hmm…umm….do you think it’s time I start coming up with japanese anime-to-live action movies?

Squirrel3D on December 2, 2006 at 4:01 pm

Debbie:
One of my pet peeves is movies that are not only dull but interminably long! Why are filmmakers so tempermentaly unable to make films that come in under 2 hours? Is it ego?

Ripper on December 2, 2006 at 5:16 pm

I like Morgan Freeman. He once lashed out at the noun “Black actor” when he said “he is a damn good actor – black or white”.

Ripper on December 2, 2006 at 5:18 pm

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