10 Tricks

OK... let's start with the obvious. Only in current year do we have a movie about a brothel that includes two dudes. Really? Sigh... there goes at least one star.

So... aside from that, there really isn't a plot here. The movie revolves around a madam in a brothel (Lea Thompson - the whole reason I sat through this) who wants a child (not a family; not a man; just a child) and a magician who hates his job. This plot takes up maybe 15 or 20 minutes of the whole flick. The rest is just various unrelated tricks (think brothel, not magic). There is nothing that ties any of these shorts together outside of the fact that they are all ladies of the night. Oh yeah.. I forgot... current year. Ladies and Gentlemen of the night... sigh...

I'm really not even sure how the magician ties in to the story, either. It looks like he's performing in a night club, but there's a brothel in same building as the night club? And the madam tends bar in the brothel / night club? Yeah... no... nothing here makes a lick of sense.

Looking back, I'm really not even sure why I gave it the five stars I did.. I guess just for Lea. If you are a fan of hers (Howard the Duck, anyone?)... well.. you still probably won't enjoy this.

I was truly impressed with the overall production values of the film. John Bailey, the cinematographer, is one of the best in the business, and I thought he did a terrific job on what was probably a very low budget film. The other production values were also terrific, and the performances were some of the best I've seen in a film of this size. And I also was intrigued by the fact that the four or five actors in the movie play all the male roles; it's a little unclear but I think it may have something to do with the idea that all these men represent a kind of Everyman image.

Lea Thompson was also terrific in the film, especially in the last scene, with the sheriff (I won't mention how it ends, which is I guess something of a "surprise" ending). The other women in the film are beautiful, and there are many great comedic scenes as well to lift this film above the average.

I read somewhere that the film was based on a play that was produced originally in Los Angeles and was a hit there. I can understand some of the limitations of the script because of that, since it does tend to read like a play on film rather than a film. But even with that, I still found it a really smart, funny, moving film about the flaws of humans, and our basic need to move on in our lives.

I'd certainly like to see more from these filmmakers.

Quirky and funny with a big 'ol heart on its sleeve. Beautifully shot in black and white by top Hollywood Director of Photography, John Bailey. A wonderful cast led by Lea Thompson who sweeps us up in the charm of the film.

Great performances all around especially from Lea Thompson who does especially intimate and touching work - and Raymond Cruz's male escort is nothing like his performance as Tuco from Breaking Bad - he's a fun performer to watch.

Pagano directs a smart and sexy film with moving performances. The theatrical device of the "ten tricks" is a clever device and a great way into the stories of his characters. Thumbs up!