THOU SHALT BE AMUSED BY IRREVERENT 'THE TEN'.Byline: GLENN WHIPP WHIPP WhiteWater Head Impact Protection Project >FILM CRITIC For those who found Krzysztof Kieslowski's classic treatment of the Ten Commandments Ten Commandments or Decalogue [Gr.,=ten words], in the Bible, the summary of divine law given by God to Moses on Mt. Sinai. They have a paramount place in the ethical system in Judaism, Christianity, and Islam. , "The Decalogue," to be a little light on sex humor, you now have an alternative with "The Ten," an absurd, blasphemous blas·phe·mous adj. Impiously irreverent. [Middle English blasfemous, from Late Latin blasph , uneven, infantile and frequently very funny sketch comedy from the guys behind "The State." Taking its cues from Kieslowski and Moses' stone tablets, the movie loosely uses the commandments as a starting point for sketches that illustrate the senselessness and inanity in·an·i·ty n. pl. in·an·i·ties 1. The condition or quality of being inane. 2. Something empty of meaning or sense. Noun 1. of the human experience. When co-writers Ken Marino and David Wain (Wain directs) are cooking, which is about half the time, "The Ten" wields its bad taste like a blunt instrument, bludgeoning you with buffoonery that's hard to resist. Take, for example, Commandment No. 1: Thou shalt not Thou Shalt Not is the initial phrase of most of the Ten Commandments brought forth by Moshe the prophet. It can also mean:
Sport of jumping from an airplane at a moderate altitude (e.g., 6,000 ft [1,800 m]) and executing various body maneuvers before pulling the rip cord of a parachute. Competitive events include jumping for style, landing with accuracy, and performing in teams (e.g. , forgetting his parachute and sticking waist-deep in a remote field. Stephen must stay where he is or die and becomes an overnight cult celebrity, getting his own sitcom and inspiring copycatters to follow his example. The movie rarely aims for that kind of cultural insight again, though the "coveting thy neighbor's house" segment with dueling suburban dads seeing who can accumulate the most CT scan CT scan: see CAT scan. See CAT scan. machines comes close. Mostly, the filmmakers are just going after Python-esque silliness -- the surgeon who leaves a scalpel in his patient ("it was just a goof") and the dad who bails on church to celebrate the body human (and Roberta Flack). Paul Rudd introduces each segment and appears in the adultery sketch. Also on hand: Gretchen Mol as a virginal virginal, musical instrument: see spinet. virginal or virginals Small rectangular harpsichord with a single set of strings and a single manual. The derivation of its name is uncertain. librarian who travels to Mexico and meets a Fabio-like Jesus (dig the "Y Tu Mama Tambien" narration) and one-time shoplifter Winona Ryder, artfully cast in the "thou shalt not steal" segment. That casting choice and Ryder's giddy willingness to put herself on the line almost compensate for the sketch's flat humor. Even when "The Ten" doesn't work, its energy persuades you to act with Christian charity. And, after all, another commandment will be coming around the corner in no time flat. Glenn Whipp, (818) 713-3672 glenn.whipp@dailynews.com THE TEN - Two and one half stars >R: pervasive strong, crude sexual content, language, nudity, some drug material. >Starring: Paul Rudd, Adam Brody, Gretchen Mol, Winona Ryder. >Director: Adam Shankman. >Running time: 1 hr. 39 min. >Playing: Laemmle's Town Center 5 in Encino; Laemmle's Playhouse 7 in Pasadena; Laemmle's Monica in Santa Monica; The Landmark in West Los Angeles
>In a nutshell: Absurdist take on the Ten Commandments for those who found "The Decalogue" to be a bit light on anal sex humor. CAPTION(S): photo Photo: Convicted shoplifter/actress Winona Ryder is featured in the "thou shalt not steal" segment of "The Ten." |
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