I've watched relatively few of director Edwards' non-PINK PANTHER films; among the ones I own that I've yet to catch up with are DAYS OF WINE AND ROSES (1962), WHAT DID YOU DO IN THE WAR, DADDY? (1966) and S.O.B. (1981).
This one proved among Edwards' most successful films (though the curt, with-it title emerges to be rather meaningless), drawing attention to itself for treating a serious subject such as mid-life crisis in semi-comedic vein though, ultimately, it's nowhere near as incisive or cinematically deft as Luis Bunuel's THAT OBSCURE OBJECT OF DESIRE (1977) wherein, likewise, a well-respected man continuously humiliates himself in his reckless pursuit of a much younger girl(s) and, besides, results in being unbalanced somewhat by the slapstick passages.
Edwards wrote the script for 10 himself: among the more notable dialogue stretches involve an argument between leads Dudey Moore and Julie Andrews (the director's real-life wife) regarding the definition of the ostensibly disparaging term "broad", and another later on between Moore and Bo Derek his character's 'object of desire' with respect to the girl's casual attitude towards sex. Even if she doesn't really feature in it till the last third, Derek became a sex symbol thanks to 10; that said, her contribution (mixing disarming naivete with effortless sensuality, like an updated version of Marilyn Monroe) is undeniably one of the film's trump cards and, on account of this, I might even have to rent the two notorious vehicles her actor/director husband concocted for her in the early 1980s. Andrews does well enough by her relatively colorless role (which, naturally, sees her as a singing star).
Moore's part had originally been accepted by George Segal, but he left the project for some reason; later, it was offered to Edwards' former muse Peter Sellers who turned it down but, reportedly, did feature in a cameo which scene, however, didn't make the final cut! Moore, whose career up to this point had been sporadic (with BEDAZZLED [1967], which I've just watched, as his only notable starring vehicle) suddenly found himself much in demand after his scene-stealing cameo in FOUL PLAY (1978). This would eventually lead to his most famous role, ARTHUR (1981; for which he received an Oscar nomination and one he reprised for a less successful sequel 7 years later), another collaboration with Edwards MICKEY + MAUDE (1984) and the remake of Preston Sturges' classic UNFAITHFULLY YOURS (1984).
Despite the ample nudity (removed or concealed for network showings of the film) allowed by the current permissiveness in censorship and which is even referenced in the very final scene 10 remains an old-fashioned entertainment at heart: not only is Moore's character a musician (as the star was in real life, after all) who has a (thankfully non-stereotyped) gay songwriting partner in veteran Robert Webber but this is also evident in the conservative i.e. tasteful choice of exponents for the soundtrack (original music and songs by Edwards stalwart Henry Mancini, who gave the film its only Oscar nods, and such standard classical pieces as Ravel's "Bolero").
Commendably, the writer-director also gives space here to the minor characters notably when the scene shifts to Mexico, such as the sympathetic bartender played by Brian Dennehy and the woman with whom Moore has a clumsy fling (Dee Wallace). With this in mind, the film's single greatest laugh-out-loud moment comes fairly early on in the picture and has to do with the senile servant of the priest who celebrated Derek's marriage to future FLASH GORDON, Sam J. Jones (when he's visited by Moore in an attempt to learn more about her).
This one proved among Edwards' most successful films (though the curt, with-it title emerges to be rather meaningless), drawing attention to itself for treating a serious subject such as mid-life crisis in semi-comedic vein though, ultimately, it's nowhere near as incisive or cinematically deft as Luis Bunuel's THAT OBSCURE OBJECT OF DESIRE (1977) wherein, likewise, a well-respected man continuously humiliates himself in his reckless pursuit of a much younger girl(s) and, besides, results in being unbalanced somewhat by the slapstick passages.
Edwards wrote the script for 10 himself: among the more notable dialogue stretches involve an argument between leads Dudey Moore and Julie Andrews (the director's real-life wife) regarding the definition of the ostensibly disparaging term "broad", and another later on between Moore and Bo Derek his character's 'object of desire' with respect to the girl's casual attitude towards sex. Even if she doesn't really feature in it till the last third, Derek became a sex symbol thanks to 10; that said, her contribution (mixing disarming naivete with effortless sensuality, like an updated version of Marilyn Monroe) is undeniably one of the film's trump cards and, on account of this, I might even have to rent the two notorious vehicles her actor/director husband concocted for her in the early 1980s. Andrews does well enough by her relatively colorless role (which, naturally, sees her as a singing star).
Moore's part had originally been accepted by George Segal, but he left the project for some reason; later, it was offered to Edwards' former muse Peter Sellers who turned it down but, reportedly, did feature in a cameo which scene, however, didn't make the final cut! Moore, whose career up to this point had been sporadic (with BEDAZZLED [1967], which I've just watched, as his only notable starring vehicle) suddenly found himself much in demand after his scene-stealing cameo in FOUL PLAY (1978). This would eventually lead to his most famous role, ARTHUR (1981; for which he received an Oscar nomination and one he reprised for a less successful sequel 7 years later), another collaboration with Edwards MICKEY + MAUDE (1984) and the remake of Preston Sturges' classic UNFAITHFULLY YOURS (1984).
Despite the ample nudity (removed or concealed for network showings of the film) allowed by the current permissiveness in censorship and which is even referenced in the very final scene 10 remains an old-fashioned entertainment at heart: not only is Moore's character a musician (as the star was in real life, after all) who has a (thankfully non-stereotyped) gay songwriting partner in veteran Robert Webber but this is also evident in the conservative i.e. tasteful choice of exponents for the soundtrack (original music and songs by Edwards stalwart Henry Mancini, who gave the film its only Oscar nods, and such standard classical pieces as Ravel's "Bolero").
Commendably, the writer-director also gives space here to the minor characters notably when the scene shifts to Mexico, such as the sympathetic bartender played by Brian Dennehy and the woman with whom Moore has a clumsy fling (Dee Wallace). With this in mind, the film's single greatest laugh-out-loud moment comes fairly early on in the picture and has to do with the senile servant of the priest who celebrated Derek's marriage to future FLASH GORDON, Sam J. Jones (when he's visited by Moore in an attempt to learn more about her).