Review of 10 Years (2012) by Thomas W — 23 Dec 2012

Saddled with one of the most generic and lame film titles in recent memory, 10 Years is actually a decent dramedy focusing on a group of small-town friends (think Beautiful Girls) coming together for their 10 year high school reunion.

As many of them have fled from their small-town and scattered about the world (one is now a recording artist in Japan), this is most-likely the first time many have seen each other since their high school glory days.

While the film gives ample screen/face-time to twelve-or-so of the classmates, the film's central character is Jake (Channing Tatum - 21 Jump Street, Magic Mike, Step Up) -- the nice guy everyone remembers -- who has come to the reunion with his girlfriend Jess (Jenna Dewan-Tatum - Step Up, The Grudge 2, "The Playboy Club") even though he still harbors some feelings for his high school sweetheart Mary (Rosario Dawson - Sin City, Unstoppable, Seven Pounds).

While that sounds as generic as films come, there is plenty here that makes the film more original than it sounds. Another standout storyline is that of Cully (Chris Pratt - Zero Dark Thirty, Moneyball, "Parks and Rec"), a former childish brute-of-a-bully who believes his bullying ways are behind him although most in attendance see that they are not -- which is horrifying and shockingly clear to his she-means-well wife, Sam (Ari Graynor - Nick and Norah's Infinite Playlist, For a Good Time Call .

.., Whip It). 10 Years also stars Justin Long, Kate Mara, Oscar Isaac, Lynn Collins, Anthony Mackie, Brian Geraghty, Aubrey Plaza, Scott Porter, Max Minghella, Aaron Yoo, Kelly Noonan and Ron LIvingston as other reunion attendees who help convey the film's main message -- life doesn't always end up how we had planned.

There is nothing groudbreaking with this film; but there are enough storylines that will resonate with an audience that should make this a worthy watch.