Review of 10 (1979) by Jim A — 12 Jul 2012

Before his days as the notorious "Arthur", Dudley Moore broke into the comedy scene playing George Webber in this slapstick comedy about a man suffering from a midlife crisis. Julie Andrews plays "Sam", George's girlfriend whom he has grown tired of because of her age... not to mention his own. In steps Bo Derek's "Jenny", whom George falls head over heels for at first sight. What follows is a hilarious adventure in which George not only tries to pursue Jenny, but also attempts to keep things with Sam intact, all the while being intercepted by George's reckless driving, his tooth cavities, his neighbor's wild orgies, a bartender named Don, an insecure girl named Mary Lewis, smoldering hot beaches, and last but not least, George's weakness for Brandy.

I personally enjoy Dudley Moore's escapades in 10 far greater than those in Arthur, if not only because the character of George Webber is so much farther down to Earth. When George is drunk, he's not having the arrogant and annoying theme park ride that the obnoxiously rich Arthur does. Instead, the alcohol impedes his every action, which is far more amusing in my opinion. Although I must state that Bo Derek's presence is greatly overrated, as her character has very little screen time but still manages to steal the attention from Julie Andrews, who is obviously a much more talented actress. 10 manages to bring me back to a time when the physical comedy of the three stooges was still funny. That sort literal slapstick humor is meshed with the blissful irony of a Coen Brothers tale, and the result is overwhelmingly entertaining. I could agree how some will argue this movie is boring, but the funny parts more than make up for the slow ones.