Directed by Jamie Linden, "10 Years" finds a group of high-school buddies attending a high-school reunion. Once there, they confront regrets, disappointments, insecurities and wonder how their lives might have turned out had they not embarked upon various pursuits.
Like most "high school reunion" movies, "10 Years" oozes melancholy. Chris Pratt and Channing Tatum in particular are very good as a pair of alpha males whose large exteriors mask wounded hearts. The film's standout scene, though, belongs to a button-nosed Kate Mara. Sitting in a bar, blushing behind protective palms, Kate watches as Reeves (Oscar Isaac), an old classmate, sings a song. The song's famous and adored by women all over America – Reeve's has become a pop-star – but Kate's character, Elise, has never heard it.
What unfolds next has become "10 Years'" main claim to fame. As Reeves sings his song, appropriately named "The Best I Never Had", a moment of realisation washes over Elise; the song is about her! In an instant, hearts melt, mouths drop and undergarments moisten. The sequence's power, though, stems from the way it encapsulates the anxieties of Linder's entire cast. Reeves' song was designed for one woman in particular, yet hit its target ten years too late. And so if a man's imagined destiny can spend a lifetime out of reach, how does one go on living?
Upon hearing her own personal pop-song, a shell-shocked Elise rejects Reeves. Life has moved on and circumstances have changed. As the film closes, friends and ex-lovers shuffle off in the night, consoling themselves with the belief, the hope, that what turned out, somehow, maybe, nevertheless turned out for the best.
There aren't many good "high school reunion movies". Fare like "Grosse Point Blank", Vinterberg's "The Celebration", Ted Demme's "Beautiful Girls" and "Romy and Michele's High School Reunion" are perhaps the best. Reunion flicks by auteurs ("Peggy Sue Got Married", "Return of the Secaucus Seven", "The Big Chill"), in contrast, tend not to age well. Considering "10 Years" was Lind's debut, it's pretty good.
7.9/10 – Worth one viewing.
Like most "high school reunion" movies, "10 Years" oozes melancholy. Chris Pratt and Channing Tatum in particular are very good as a pair of alpha males whose large exteriors mask wounded hearts. The film's standout scene, though, belongs to a button-nosed Kate Mara. Sitting in a bar, blushing behind protective palms, Kate watches as Reeves (Oscar Isaac), an old classmate, sings a song. The song's famous and adored by women all over America – Reeve's has become a pop-star – but Kate's character, Elise, has never heard it.
What unfolds next has become "10 Years'" main claim to fame. As Reeves sings his song, appropriately named "The Best I Never Had", a moment of realisation washes over Elise; the song is about her! In an instant, hearts melt, mouths drop and undergarments moisten. The sequence's power, though, stems from the way it encapsulates the anxieties of Linder's entire cast. Reeves' song was designed for one woman in particular, yet hit its target ten years too late. And so if a man's imagined destiny can spend a lifetime out of reach, how does one go on living?
Upon hearing her own personal pop-song, a shell-shocked Elise rejects Reeves. Life has moved on and circumstances have changed. As the film closes, friends and ex-lovers shuffle off in the night, consoling themselves with the belief, the hope, that what turned out, somehow, maybe, nevertheless turned out for the best.
There aren't many good "high school reunion movies". Fare like "Grosse Point Blank", Vinterberg's "The Celebration", Ted Demme's "Beautiful Girls" and "Romy and Michele's High School Reunion" are perhaps the best. Reunion flicks by auteurs ("Peggy Sue Got Married", "Return of the Secaucus Seven", "The Big Chill"), in contrast, tend not to age well. Considering "10 Years" was Lind's debut, it's pretty good.
7.9/10 – Worth one viewing.