Ten Benny
Ten Benny
| 09 April 1995 (USA)
Ten Benny Trailers

The story of a young shoe salesman whose overestimation of his own sharpness leads to gambling debts, pissed-off loan sharks, and overall misery.

Reviews
Linkshoch Wonderful Movie
Fluentiama Perfect cast and a good story
BelSports This is a coming of age storyline that you've seen in one form or another for decades. It takes a truly unique voice to make yet another one worth watching.
Lollivan It's the kind of movie you'll want to see a second time with someone who hasn't seen it yet, to remember what it was like to watch it for the first time.
williamahearn Having titled this comment as I did, I have to say that I liked this flick even if I've seen it many, many times before. I'm not crazy about it, just happy it didn't stink. First films should be supported to encourage new talent and Adrien Brody turned in a good -- but not brilliant -- performance. This film -- about a bunch of guys growing up in a small town -- has been done much, much better by Fellini and Levinson to name two. Even so, it seems new directors feel the need to plumb this material again and again. As a result, not a lot can really be expected. "Judy Berlin," another indie film, is also in this genre. "Ten Benny" or "Nothing to Lose" plows already overturned ground but makes a credible case for itself. That's about -- if you can excuse the pun -- the size of it.William www.williamahearn.com
anna-72 This movie is a must see for the riveting performance of ADRIEN BRODY. Though the writing and directing may be average, keep in mind it was the first film for writer/director, ERIC BROSS. Bross does get better with age and experience. I enjoyed the performances of all the cast, however, I wish the character Mrs. Deturo, played by actress ANNA MANFREDI, would have had a more significant part. Whenever she appeared in a scene she lit up the room - She is talented, has star quality, is interesting, and I would like to see more of her in future films.Mr. Bross would have been wise to utilize Ms. Manfredi in the party scene -developing her character and defining her as Joanne's mother - he neglected to develop a relationship between mother and daughter. (When you are wandering all around looking for your boyfriend, it is a knee jerk reaction to ask your mom if she has seen him when you walk right past her. Joanne never once talks to her mother or acknowledges her as her mother. This made the entire scene lacking in content. Bross has the party scene so cluttered with people that it is distracting from the events taking place, as if the party takes place in Grand Central rather than Mrs. Deturo's (Joanne's mother) home with a gathering of relatives.One should never under-estimate the importance of a "mother" in developing a character. You learn early on that Ray, played by Brody, grew up without his mother who left when he was a child. This helps explain why Ray was so messed up. We completely lose all empathy for Joanne, played by Sybil Temchen, during this scene, as she is cold and menacing as she totally ignores her mother, played by Ms. Manfredi, as if the character is just a stranger amongst a bunch of strangers.So to sum it all up - - ADRIEN BRODY IS FANTASTIC and LET'S SEE MORE OF ANNA MANFREDI IN UPCOMING FILMS!!!
trixie303@hotmail.com This movie was 100 percent unoriginal. The only reason I rented it was because I am endeavoring to see all of Adrien Brody's films. He truly is an amazing talent.I am still buzzing from excitement that he won the Oscar for Pianist!See this movie ONLY if you love Adrien Brody and want to see a young star in the making. He is very young and yet you can see he is a Deniro or James Dean. Also check out another little seen Brody flick: Bread and Roses. It's actually a really good little movie and all the girls will fall for him in this one!
George Parker "Ten Benny" is a slice of life flick about some young working class Italian-American men in New Jersey who are desperately trying to merge life styles with dreams. Brody, who went on to better forums for his talent, is at the center of this less than engaging and somewhat clumsy melding of melodrama and reality from first time director Bross and a small army of producers. An okay C- small screen watch for those with a taste for guy dramas though don't expect much action, sex, nudity or common sense.