BEFORE: From dock workers to grocery store workers -
THE PLOT: An actor prepping for an upcoming role meets a quirky grocery clerk, and the pair hit the road to show one another their respective worlds.
AFTER: Arrggh, it should be "10 Items or FEWER". Does it bother anyone else that nearly every grocery store in the country has a sign with a grammar mistake on it? Look, if you can count the items, the correct word is "fewer", but if it's a quantity that can't be counted, the word is "less". You can ask for less butter, or fewer sticks of butter.
This is a character showcase for Morgan Freeman (last seen in "Lean On Me"), who's listed in the credits as playing "Him" - so essentially, he's playing himself, or a version of himself, researching a role. Whether you find this movie charming or not depends largely on how you feel about Mr. Freeman.
I know for a fact that actors do this sort of character research - my boss was hired a few years ago to do some animation for an indie feature, in which the main character was a teenage artist and aspiring animator. They invited my boss down to the set, and he didn't know that the lead actor had been told to shadow him and watch the way he carried himself, for inspiration.
Freeman strikes up a friendship with a cashier named Scarlet (Paz Vega, last seen in "The Spirit") and is fascinated by the details of her life. When he requires a ride home, their paths become intertwined and they end up spending the afternoon together, bonding and inspiring each other. Freeman gives an inspiring speech in Scarlet's car that's essentially the opposite of Brando's car-seat "contender" monologue from "On the Waterfront" - he tells her about all the potential she has, all the things that she can accomplish. What a nice bit of symmetry...
Even though the middle of the film felt a little stretched out, as the pair kill time at a car wash before her job interview, this has the feel of an indie short film. It's a simple idea that shows us a small slice of someone's life, but fortunately it's a tasty slice.
Also starring Bobby Cannavale (last seen in "Fast Food Nation") and Jonah Hill (last seen in "Forgetting Sarah Marshall") with a cameo from Danny DeVito (last seen in "Be Cool") and Rhea Perlman.
RATING: 6 out of 10 car air fresheners
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