By: JWBM
Our society works as a careful balance. We have certain aspects set up to make things go as smooth as possible, from something as simple as a stop sign, to something as complex as the consequences to murder. It takes a different kind of person to commit a heinous act against another with little regard for the law. Though there is a gray area where sometimes things are more tricky than they seem: this is where "10x10" takes place.
The tone is a mix of mystery and drama with some built up suspenseful moments. This is a simple revenge tale with the exception of having a custom padded cell hidden away in a remote house to spice it up. A tormented man kidnaps a local woman in broad day light at a public parking lot no less. What looks to be a random or predatory, can't-resist-this-woman encounter, turns out to be that both have a commonality.
The story reveals bit by bit as it unfolds, with the heat getting turned up to a boiling degree by its showdown. The man, Lewis—played by Luke Evans—is an everyday man who's consumed by a fuming mix of anger and depression that makes him unpredictable and nearly broken. The woman, Cathy—played by Kelly Reilly—is your everyday looking redheaded gal around town, but once caged has an inner strength and determination of a few women combined.
This is mostly a no-fuss tale of payback. You get a little drama for emotional impact and some violent moments to get the heart pumping. On paper, the story is as far-fetched as they go. Played out, it comes with some worked through moments to get behind, along with some eye-rolling, illogical ones to shake your head to: such as their mismatched physicalities at points (if you've seen the muscled Luke Evans in "Immortals" you'll understand the contrast).
The direction turns out to be both its strength and its weakness. Instead of an over-the-top, roller-coaster of an experience with little time to look back on such as, say, "Taken" that deals with one-dimensional retribution, the pacing of "10x10" comes with a particular methodical balance to it that grounds some sense of disbelief. Though, what may ruffle some people's feathers, is it incidentally gets the brain working more, but doesn't come with many challenging layers or complex questions to fill in the space with substantial substance. As such, it's a padded feature—albeit with some attempts at atmosphere—that could have been much more.
As far as revenge tales, this isn't going to be anywhere near as grueling as "Oldboy," inventive as "Memento," or even as memorable as "The Count of Monte Cristo." It's a basic, formulaic film with not much in the way of something new to the game, though it gets the job done as a story to put on and put the brain to rest. If you're looking for anything more, you may be disappointed.
Rating: 4.5/10
Director: Suzi Ewing
Actors: Luke Evans, Kelly Reilly
Info: IMDB link
Trailer: Youtube link
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