FLASHBACK REVIEW: 10 Years

Courtesy of Anchor Bay

Right now, students and grown-ups alike are looking forward to a fun-filled summer. But sooner than we'd like to think, we'll start seeing "back to school" signs in store windows. That phrase doesn’t just apply to kids or sales on backpacks and notebook paper. It's also the season of class reunions, a time when adults put on a nice suit or dress so they can impress friends and adversaries they probably haven’t seen in years. For some, high school was the best time of their lives, while others view it as a nightmare they barely survived.

Plenty of movies have featured reunions as a plot device (like Romy and Michele’s High School Reunion, Grosse Pointe Blank, American Reunion and The Big Chill – although those characters were college buddies). But few have captured the fun and awkwardness of such an occasion like 10 Years, a little-seen comedic drama from 2011 that deserves a bigger audience.

Something tells me a lot more people will discover it over the next few years simply because of the cast. From that perspective, writer-director Jamie Linden somehow ended up making this decade’s version of American Graffiti or Dazed and Confused. In the brief time since it was released, practically every actor in the film has become a huge movie or television star.

Check out the ensemble cast: Channing Tatum, Rosario Dawson, Chris Pratt, Oscar Isaac, Anthony Mackie, Kate Mara, Aubrey Plaza, Justin Long, Max Minghella, Scott Porter, Ron Livingston, Lynn Collins and Ari Graynor. Even if you don’t know all of those names, chances are you’ll recognize their faces.

The plot sounds simple. A group of old friends meet up to attend their 10-year high school reunion and hang out at a bar afterwards – that’s it. But the setup allows for a complex web of relationships, desires, regrets and what ifs to play out over the course of the evening. Some characters get a chance to reveal their feelings to old loves, some learn sad truths about themselves and others discover that the road not taken might’ve led them away from their current happiness.

Nothing earth-shattering happens over the course of 100 minutes; there aren’t any fistfights, car crashes or shocking deaths. Real life doesn’t tend to happen like that. Instead, we get to witness the little dramas most people experience in that situation.

Jake (Tatum) is planning to propose to his longtime girlfriend (Jenna Dewan-Tatum, his wife in real life), but he gets sidetracked when he runs into an old flame (Dawson) and her husband (Livingston). Former jock Cully (Pratt) regrets the way he used to bully certain classmates, so he sets out to apologize – only to revert to his old self after a few drinks.

Reeves (Isaac) has become a famous musician, but he’s taking a break from his tour in hopes that he’ll run into his former crush, Elise (Mara). Then there’s Marty (Long) and A.J. (Minghella), best friends who find themselves sabotaging each other in their conversations with Anna (Collins), who they always considered the hottest girl in school.

I think part of the reason for the movie’s lackluster performance was marketing that presented the intimate character piece as some wacky American Pie-style comedy. There are plenty of funny scenes, but that classification is misleading. It’s a fairly realistic depiction of a high school reunion, so what makes the film memorable are those beautiful, well-earned moments between characters that Linden meticulously structures in his script.

Jake’s struggle to align his past and present works because you think it’s going in a stereotypical romcom direction; instead, it leads to a sweet, surprisingly mature resolution. We’ve gotten so used to Tatum as a comedy and action star that it’s easy to forget he’s capable of an understated performance like this. He’s got great chemistry in the scenes with his wife (obviously), but his conversations with Dawson’s character are magnetic as well.

Cully’s story arc is another example of Linden’s well-structured screenplay. If you’re watching closely during to the opening scenes, you realize Cully’s mission – which falls apart the drunker he gets – is actually destined to fail for a reason that has nothing to do with alcohol. But it’s worth his cringe-inducing interactions with former band nerds to see Pratt’s terrific performance and his next-level skill for physical comedy. It’s easy to spot the talent that would go on to make him a superstar in Guardians of the Galaxy and Jurassic World. Graynor also delivers strong, subtle work as Cully’s increasingly exasperated wife.

However, the film’s best narrative thread – by far – is the slow reveal of Reeves’ motivation for attending the reunion. Yes, he enjoys getting to see his friends again, but the way he looks at Elise proves this isn’t a surface-level attraction. The two characters exist in their own quiet world while crazier stories are playing out around them, and their attraction is so intense that we feel like we’re invading their privacy by watching them.

When Reeves’ classmates finally talk him into playing his hit song, there’s a single phrase that packs a sudden, emotional wallop. It’s a beautiful moment for both Isaac and Mara, one that I still can’t watch without the room getting a little dusty. Isaac is a brilliant actor, one who excels at playing difficult, complicated characters. But his work here – as a goodhearted, lovestruck guy – remains my favorite.

10 Years isn’t without its problems. Some viewers might think it’s boring because of the deliberate pace, designed to give us time to get to know the characters. When it comes to Marty and A.J.’s storyline, I’d be inclined to agree. Any time the movie switches to their annoying rivalry, I roll my eyes and resist the urge to hit the fast-forward button.

There’s a sweet, albeit predictable, resolution to their story, but wow does it take forever to get there. That’s mostly because the characters are downright repellant. Long, a solid actor who almost always comes off as likable, does what he can to salvage the role, but he’s hamstrung at every turn by his co-star. I haven’t seen much of Minghella’s other work, but he’s grating here, obliterating the movie’s momentum every time he appears.

I was also disappointed that Porter (terrific in television shows like Friday Night Lights and Hart of Dixie) and Mackie (now an integral part of the Marvel films) don’t get more to do. They both elevate the flick whenever they show up, and their characters’ supportive conversations with assorted classmates are far more compelling than other subplots that get more screen time. Looking at you, Marty and A.J.

I recommend giving 10 Years a watch, especially since it’s available for dirt cheap on Amazon. When fall approaches – bringing with it reunions, high school football, marching band competitions, etc. – many of us will start getting nostalgic for our younger days. Linden’s film is a nice reminder of the fun times we had in high school – as well as the not-so-enjoyable experiences we tend to block out over time.

10 Years is rated PG-13 for language, alcohol abuse, some sexual material and drug use.