The Ten

The Ten is a 2007 American comedy film directed by David Wain and cowritten by Ken Marino, both of whom are part of the comedy troupe The State. The movie features an ensemble cast, led by Paul Rudd, and includes prominent Hollywood stars like Jessica Alba and Winona Ryder among its illustrious lineup.

Distinguished by its unique narrative structure, the film is segmented into ten short stories, each exploring one of the Ten Commandments in unconventional and satirical ways. It weaves together disparate yet connected narrative threads and derives comedy from placing these ancient moral guidelines in modern contexts.

Paul Rudd serves as the film's unifying narrator, playing a man named Jeff Reigert, who introduces each segment to the audience while dealing with his own moral dilemmas. Rudd capably balances the often dark comedy with charm and patience, providing an anchor for the stories' metaphysical flights of fancy.

There’s an impressive roster of accomplished actors and comedians that make appearances in these stories, creating a rich and diversified universe. Jessica Alba plays a key role as Gretchen, Jeff's wife whose diminishing patience with her husband's antics forms an ongoing subplot that ties the narrative together.

Widely remembered is Winona Ryder's quirky role as a woman having an affair with a ventriloquist dummy – a bizarre yet strangely entrancing reinterpretation of a commandment. The movie is peppered with such eccentric characters, throwing the audience into bizarre situations that manage to provoke deep thought, usually followed by genuine laughter.

While each segment of the film approaches its respective commandment with a different style – spanning various tones and genres – they all exhibit Wain's distinctive brand of humor. From absurd and deadpan to raunchy and slapstick, the film expertly mines humor from its biblical premise while also maintaining a fresh and eclectic mix of comedic styles.

One distinction of The Ten is its refusal to shy away from the profound and the profane. It revels in the examination of the moral dilemmas we face as individuals and a society, seeking to provoke thinking about what these ancient commandments mean today. Each segment invites the audience to rethink and question the perceived wisdom of these Biblical tenets.

Visually, the film holds a unique identity as well, with each segment presented in its own stylistic aesthetic while retaining a common thread of comic sensibility. The switching of genres from vibrant parodies to animated interludes makes the film visually exciting. It is this creative mishmash that makes The Ten an excellent spectacle, not just on a narrative level, but on a visual level as well.

Furthermore, the movie also showcases a host of brilliant supporting performances from the likes of Gretchen Mol, Oliver Platt, and Liev Schreiber. These performances add nuance and versatility to the stories and contribute to the overall charm of the movie.

The humor of The Ten often navigates into bizarre and quirky territories — the kind that subverts traditional narrative expectations, leading to unexpected laugh-out-loud moments. At the same time, the film balances its often farcical comedy with a thought-provoking undercurrent, resulting in a movie experience that is entertaining, amusing, and equally thought-provoking.

But The Ten is not just about pushing the boundaries. At its heart, it’s a film about moral ambiguity in modern life, retelling and interpreting age-old rules in a contemporary context, posing important questions about morality, ethics, and the often blurred line between the two.

In conclusion, The Ten is a highly unique, lovably eccentric, and engaging ensemble comedy film with a broad comic range. Its approach to exploring deep moral issues through satire, along with its fantastic cast and thoughtful narration, make it a captivating watch. While it certainly veers towards a more unconventional type of comedy, it stands as a testament to the power of audacious filmmaking, showcasing that humor can be intelligently infused into any narrative. It’s a film that pushes boundaries, subverts norms, and offers a fresh retake on ancient tenets we may have otherwise thought of as trite or antiquated. If you have an affinity for humor that straddles between the profound and silly, The Ten might just be the film for you.