I have now forgiven director Brad Silberling for making Moonlight Mile, a painfully melodramatic flim I endured here in Toronto four years ago. The Lemony Snicket film helped get him back in my good graces, and his latest, 10 Items or Less has decided matters. This low-budget, unpretentious film is as charming as anything I saw at the festival this year, and proves that the class of Morgan Freeman and the fire of Paz Vega can carry a motion picture.

Plots don't get much simpler. Freeman is playing a veteran actor who's doing research for an upcoming role. Although never identified by name, let's call the character "Morgan Freeman." Vega plays Scarlet, a cashier who doesn't give a damn about her job. When it's time for her to go home, she realizes Morgan has a problem: his ride hasn't arrived, and he's lost in L.A. He doesn't remember his own phone number, he doesn't have any friends to call (his agent and publicist are both unavailable since they're Jewish and it's a Jewish holiday), and he doesn't have any money. Scarlet agrees to drive him home, but he has to accompany her on a few urgent errands first. This allows Freeman to experience the wonders of Target, among other things.

About 60 of the movie's 82 minutes feature no one other than Vega and Freeman. As they drive around Los Angeles, they discuss life, self-respect, and a bunch of other topics. They get to know each other and, in the process, find out a few things about themselves. Scarlet gains the confidence to quit her despised job and interview for a new one. If she doesn't get it, it's no big deal - she'll try again. Morgan decides to get back into filmmaking (he has been semi-retired), even if it's only to star in an indie production.

10 Items or Less recalls Lost in Translation and Before Sunrise, but without the romantic aspect. Like the characters in those films, Scarlet and Morgan have only a limited time together. During that time, they develop a surprisingly strong bond, but when the day is over, they will never see each other again. However, where love blossomed between Ethan Hawke and Julie Delpy, and sexual tension arced between Scarlett Johansson and Bill Murray, the relationship between Morgan and Scarlet remains platonic.

10 Items or Less is not landmark cinema nor is it deeply thought-provoking, but it's smart, funny, knowledgeable about life and people, and a crowd-pleaser (at least for those who don't expect action scenes). Freeman oozes charisma and Vega couldn't be more alluring (even wearing the supermarket smock). There's instant chemistry between the two actors and it never evaporates.

The good news is that Thinkfilm has purchased the distribution rights so the movie will be available in a limited theatrial release in places other than New York and Los Angeles. The bad news is that the MPAA will give the movie an R because the word "fuck" is used several times. It's unfortunate because this is a perfect motion picture for teenagers who are serious about movies (as oppoosed to teenagers who only spend their dollars on the latest blockbusters). Irrespective of what the MPAA might claim, 10 Items or Less is a pleasant experience for viewers of all ages.

Yeah, it sounds like one of those charming little films that comes out around late December, is ignored by the Oscars, but gets some pretty good reviews and is liked by the few who see it.

Yeah, something like In Good Company...