Ten Inch Hero is an enchanting and enjoyable film about the Beach City Grill and its motley collection of employees. It takes the viewer on a gentle yet sometimes heart-wrenching ride through the daily lives of Tish, Piper, Jen and Priestly, under the watchful eye of the sandwich shop owner, Trucker.
The premise sounds simple, but like all heart related matters it's more complicated than it first appears. The question of the day seems to be is it possible for a misfit to find love? Tish, (Danneel Harris) the resident nympho, seems to think that love can be found in great sex. If only there were some great sex to be found. Piper (Elisabeth Harnois) searches for love in the form of her long-lost daughter, and Jen (Clea DuVall) explores the Internet for Mr. Right. Only Priestly, (Jensen Ackles) with his generous piercings and colourful mohawk seems to be the voice of reason, thumbing his nose at relationships and ridiculing the others for their behaviour with men. Rounding out the diverse group is Trucker, shop owner and die hard hippie. Played by John Doe, Trucker is as sensitive as he is wise, although neither trait is particularly apparent whenever Zo (Alice Krige) is in the room. Zo has an ethereal quality that is as tangible as her gentle smile, and Trucker finds himself dumbstruck whenever he's in her presence.
The casting in this film is truly beyond compare. I find myself enraptured by every scene, drawn in by the intensity of emotion and depth shining from the eyes of each performer. Elisabeth Harnois is blessed with beautifully luminous eyes, which she uses to their full radiant power in this film. She shows us everything from the wide-eyed innocence of youth, to the joy of new-found friendship, and on to the suffering parent longing for the missing piece to her heart. I imagine that her ability to open her eyes wide and let the tears well up must drive men wild. Clea DuVall is equally radiant, despite all attempts to make her look frumpy. She is a talented actress and an attractive woman, and her sincerity shines through regardless of the sweatshirts on her wardrobe rack. Her breakdown at the campfire left very few dry eyes in the theatre; her character is one almost everyone can identify with and the relationship issues mirror those all women have felt at some time in their lives. I imagine that Danneel Harris had a lot of fun playing Tish. Cute, perky, and oh-so-popular, Tish is the sandwich shop diva. But even the princess has issues with men, and she shows us how popularity is no substitute for true love. Of course my heart will always belong to Jensen Ackles, who steals the scene every time he's on screen. Once again, he doesn't disappoint; Priestly kept me laughing every second, often without saying a word. Granted, much of that had to do with his eclectic collection of T-shirts, spouting slogans such as "Save a tree eat a beaver" which appeals to me as a Canadian, and " Orgasm donor ask for free sample" which appeals to me as, well, as a woman. But Jensen's unique genius is found in his body language and facial expressions. Jensen lives every line, every thought and feeling and conveys it with a look; a flash of the eyes; a half-smile. Dare I say it? Yes, even with an emphasized eyebrow waggle and a gay falsetto. Poor Tad, Priestly is far too perceptive and Jensen is far too expressive, you never had a chance.
Although the film is excellent, beautifully written and artfully filmed, there are two places where I feel the activity on screen detracts from the story. The overall pace of the film is very gentle and contemplative, and the sex scene with its unwarranted nudity feels out of place. In my opinion, the same statement could have been made with a closer framed head-and-shoulders shot, at least for the first half of the scene. The second is the scene with Piper and Jen at the beach. The entire film has a distinct lack of background actors which I found refreshingly different. Having already noted this I was almost shocked to see what should have been background looming in the foreground, to the point where the actor must have been walking within a few meagre feet of the camera. Had this scene contained an assortment of people walking the beach, I wouldn't have given a second thought to a pair of legs blocking the camera for a second and in fact I probably would have heralded it as a stroke of brilliance on the part of the director for drawing me more deeply into the scene. However, the fact that these legs represented the only other person on the sand that day, my reaction is to ask why they couldn't just walk behind the camera instead? Despite these two burrs beneath the saddle, I find myself admiring the aesthetics of the film. Charming in it's simplicity yet creatively presented, with locations that feel familiar enough to allow me to put myself into each scene. Under the watchful eye of director David Mackay, whose bumper-car cameo had me elbowing my friends in delight, the camera successfully captures the feeling of a lazy summer afternoon, an exciting road trip, a terrifying grocery store purchase, and a welcoming neighbourhood eatery, all with a smooth flow and comfortable feel.
I can unreservedly recommend this film as a delight to watch. The heartfelt story, brilliantly written and generously laced with humour is a credit to its writer, Betsy Morris. Her script exemplifies the delicate touch of the artist and demonstrates her understanding of the inherent fallibility of romantic relationships. The film conveys a feeling of hope, both for the future and for restitution of the past. With an excellent soundtrack, ingenious acting, precocious storyline and beautiful scenery, Ten Inch Hero has everything one could want in a film.
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