I first heard about this film on the internet way back when it was announced that they were going to make the biopic of Johnny Cash. I didn't think too much of it and, as months went by, I started becoming more and more interested in it. I thought Joaquin Phoenix was great in a lot he had done since "Gladiator" and was becoming a fan. Reese Witherspoon I aways saw as a girl next door type so I was up in the air with her playing June Carter.
When I finally saw a preview of the film, I immediately wanted to check it out do to my curiosity and speculation. Something inside me wanted this to be good so I checked it out. I was hooked from beginning to end and I even found myself toe-tapping to the music(I am not even a fan of country!). The performances are outstanding with both Phoenix and Witherspoon at their career defining best. I am pulling for both to win the Oscars for Actor and Actress, but am shocked to find out it isn't up for Best Picture! It's an outrage!!! Because whether the Academy agrees or not(apparently, not) this IS the Best Picture of 2005!!! See it for an entertaining story, music, drama and overall great film!
'10 Years' is all about reunion of high school class to celebrate their 10 years graduation from school. At first the film shows normally high school reunion should be and seems nothing special from it. It's like watching daily people do at their reunion party like telling how have changed they are, what they've earned in life and introducing their husband or wife to old friends. But the movie flows smoothly and definitely doesn't try to be dumb or ridiculous like 'American Reunion' did. They make audience interested to see it until the best part at climax of the movie. It ends with a sweet and wonderful way which makes this movie so special. Overall, '10 Years' is not just an ordinary drama movie about people's reunion. Inside it there is a compelling story and Jamie Linden as director just put the ending in the right place. Also the characters here have same portion and not focus in only one or two main problems. For me, '10 Years' is great and could be one of the most remarkable romantic comedy movie in recent memory.
Ryan Reynolds is hilarious as Van Wilder, the lead role. Being that this is a National Lampoon movie, one would expect it to be funny. It definitely lives up to expectations of the previous National Lampoon movies. The script is ingenious and is extremely well-written. Many parts of the movie are unexpected, which makes it all the more enjoyable. This movie is so much fun to watch over and over again.
The cast is very solid. Matt Damon embodies the role of Scott Thorson well - a young apparently bisexual man who has been tossed from foster home to foster home while he does odd jobs (he is 17 years old) tending to animals. In a gay bar he meets Bob Black (Scott Bakula) who takes Scott to a Liberace concert (his first exposure to the mega-star) and to meet Liberace afterwards. There is tension in the air with Liberace's current paramour and performing partner Billy Leatherwood (Cheyenne Jackson) and we soon discover that Liberace (impeccably played by Michael Douglas) only keeps his 'boys' around for a while before his manager Seymour (Dan Ackroyd) gets rid of them with a check. Liberace and Scott find common ground in being needy people without confidants and soon Scott becomes Liberace's next lover. All goes swimmingly until Liberace sees himself on a TV show and sees how aged he has become. He engages plastic surgeon Dr. Jack Startz (Rob Lowe in a very fine performance) to perform a youthful face lift and at the same time convinces Scott to undergo plastic surgery to make him look more like Liberace! And here begins the downfall: Dr. Startz prescribes pain meds to Scott who becomes addicted and moves into heavier drugs, and his behavior, along with Liberace's need for a 'new face' (Boyd Holbrook), signals the breakup of a 6 year relationship - the best relationship either has ever had.
Bob and Doug (a.k.a. Dave and Rick) came up with a real winner when they put this one on the big screen. It is a good family comedy with no obscenities, nudity, or gory violence that provides consistent laughs as you follow the McKenzie brothers on their quest to foil Brewmeister Smith's attempt to conquer the beer drinking world.