The Ten

(2007) *** R
95 min. ThinkFilm. Director: David Wain. Cast: Jessica Alba, Adam Brody, Bobby Cannavale, Rob Corddry, Famke Janssen.
Ken Marino & David Wain—beloved by a cult audience since their days in comedy troupe The State—reteam as writers of The Ten, an absurdist anthology of short tales based on the ten commandments. Theirs is a somewhat smarmy brand of comedy, but Marino and director Wain stay on target for most of a fleet 95 minutes. A terrific ensemble doesn't hurt: Paul Rudd, Jessica Alba, Adam Brody, Gretchen Mol, Famke Janssen, Rob Corddry, Oliver Platt, and Justin Theroux all come to play. But "Best in Show" is a tie between hilariously deadpan Liev Schrieber and Winona Ryder, who mercilessly mocks herself by agreeing to appear in the "Thou Shalt Not Steal" segment. Marino and Wain prove themselves masters of ironic misdirection; there's little in the way of satire here, but if you don't laugh out loud, check your pulse.
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