Far From Heavenly

The Ten features 10 blasphemous comedic stories inspired by the Biblical Commandments.

Each tale unfolds in a different style, but with characters and themes that overlap, as told by a narrator (Paul Rudd) who, in turn, has his own moral dilemma (to choose between his beautiful wife played by Famke Janssen and his also beautiful but somewhat younger mistress played Jessica Alba).

Unfortunately, each is less successful than the previous one in holding up any interest.

Not even the troupe of cool character actors – including Gretchen Mol, Liev Schreiber, and Justin Theroux – can deliver The Ten from falling flat more often than writers David Wain (who also directed) and Ken Marino would have wanted.

The highlight of the movie arrives early on, as Mol’s buttoned-up character experiences a sexual awakening thanks to Theroux’s Jesus on a trip to Mexico. That story’s name? “Thou Shalt not Take the Lord's Name in Vain.”

It was amusing to see Winona Ryder play a woman who falls in love with a ventriloquist's puppet in “Thou Shalt Not Steal,” a nudge to the actress' own legal travails, obviously.

The material is ripe for the funny, and the movie’s idea was great (vignettes can work; see Paris, Je T’aime). But The Ten lacked…edge.

My Rating **

Photo: THINKFilm.