Here’s a film with a synopsis and slant suspiciously reminiscent of “Pulp Fiction.” That’s not a bad thing. I quite enjoyed PULP, so such a slant drew me to this picture.

Bad guys and innocents come trigger-to-barrel. A simple “job” is greatly complicated in an interesting fashion by all involved from the street thug to the top thug. Most of the events take place during the ten minutes just before noon -- hence the title. Those ten minutes play out on screen several times -- one time for each set of players and respective location. Since phone calls are made, watchers get to hear the “other sides” of those conversations when the caller’s ten minutes are revealed. It’s cool, although those phone dialogues could have been edited in duration as their repetition becomes a tad tedious.

Another suggestion: Since the opening scene is the weakest (Freeman doesn‘t quite come across believably), I’d have suggested a shuffle of the ten minute slots. Perhaps open with the security guys watching the erotic video scene.

Admirably, the film employs another rule-breaker, the credits begin to roll before the last scene. Fade-to-Black, but don’t leave the theatre. I respect the attempt here, but the effect doesn’t quite work. At credits, I felt a great deal of disappointment toward the film for not resolving itself climactically. And even though the last scene, which plays after half a minute of credits, is itself quite amusing, it still wasn’t enough to dissipate that feeling of disappointment. Perhaps there could have been some other type of odd break inserted that wouldn’t leave viewers to assume the film is ending.

While most of the acting, production, and tricky writing is good, the film overall lacks depth, intensity, hard-hitting drama, and message. Still, with a little more "something," I could see these filmmakers making something quite special in the future.

-- Book Contest --