10 items or less

Featuring an extraordinarily loose performance from Morgan Freeman just as effective as anything he’s done before, 10 items or less is a slight yet thoroughly satisfying comedy/drama revolving around the one-day relationship that forms between a Hollywood star (Freeman) and a scrappy supermarket clerk (Paz Vega). Writer/director Brad Silberling has shed his glossy tendencies in favor of a distinctly indie vibe, infusing the film with a free-wheeling and jittery sensibility that generally matches the lighthearted tone of his screenplay. But really, it’s Freeman (and, to a lesser extent, Vega) who deserves most of the credit for the movie’s success; the lack of plot never becomes the distraction that one might’ve anticipated primarily due to the enthusiasm with which Freeman tackles his apparently semi-autobiographical character (eg there’s a recurring joke involving Double Down, an Ashley Judd thriller that keeps popping up in clearance bins). 10 items or less is ultimately nothing more than a fun, 82-minute slice of escapism, which can certainly be a welcome change of pace when trapped within the confines of downbeat festival fare.

*** out of ****