Lucky Numbers
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Movie Reviews of Lucky Numbers
Movie Review: Another disappointing film for Travolta
Summary: 3 Stars
I think highly of John Travolta as an actor. After being one of the hottest properties in the eighties, he virtually disappeared for five years and then spent another four years with nothing more substantial than three "Look Who's Talking" movies. Then at 40 years of age, he took an enormous gamble with "Pulp Fiction", making a triumphant comeback and never looking back. Unfortunately, 2000 was not a good year for Travolta. After the lackluster "Battlefield Earth", he needed a project that would help him regain his momentum. This film wasn't it."Lucky Numbers" is a dark comedy about two hapless employees of a local Harrisburg TV station who try to fix the state lottery. The screenplay is goofy and has a TV sitcom feel to it. The majority of the jokes don't work. Director Nora Ephron ("Sleepless in Seattle", "Michael", "You've Got Mail") is a talented director, but quirky slapstick is not her strong suit. She does much better with schmaltzy romantic projects.
Travolta hasn't played a character this vacuous since Vinnie Barbarino in "Welcome Back, Kotter". It is a definite step backward for him, since he has proven himself an excellent dramatic actor. His performance isn't terrible, the character is. For Lisa Kudrow, this is the same ditzy character she has been playing for years, only with a liberal dose of profanity. She does a good job, but the character is extremely predictable with little range. Ed O'Neill is droll as the station manager who tries to cut himself in on the caper. Tim Roth and Bill Pullman add some supporting flavor, delivering good performances with a couple of oddball characters.
This film has plenty of talent, but a weak script. I rated it 5/10. It is not awful, but it is extremely mediocre and it didn't provide Travolta with an opportunity to redeem his year.
Movie Review: ill-conceived failure
Summary: 2 Stars
Suppose you're Nora Ephron. Thanks to "You've Got Mail", you've got clout. Now, suppose you've signed up John Travolta. In Hollywood, that makes you a Goddess. You can make any movie you want! So why did she make this one? I don't know, it's a mystery."Lucky Numbers" gives us a story Elwood Leonard would write, if he had less talent. Like a Leonard story, all the characters are try to further their own hidden agendas and their self-interest drives the conflict and suspense to its conclusion. But unlike a Leonard story, no one pays a price for their transgressions. There is no moral balance.
The plot -- about a scheme to rig the state lottery -- has some big holes. More than once I found myself asking the movie "why don't they do this" or "how did they know that". The script by Adam Resnick ("Cabin Boy", which explains everything) spares us answers to my questions while offering up lots of profanity, wretched personas and, like I said, a failure to balance the moral scales at the end.
*SPOILER* For example, Lisa Kudrow's character murders her cousin through depraved indifference (see any episode of "Law & Order" for this legal interpretation), but at the end she is simply demoted from lotto girl to stripper.
So, listen up Nora: When the great powers in Hollywood ask "Are you a Goddess?" Say NO. Then take a breath, make sure Adam Resnick isn't in the room, then go make something about elusive and capricious romantic destiny.
Movie Review: Inexplicable
Summary: 2 Stars
This movie is a tough one to rate. The story was dreck, the cast had almost no chemistry, and it just wasn't very funny. And yet, most of the performances were quite good. Travolta's performance is, at times, inspired, but overall it's uneven. Kudrow is delightful, making even this usual-for-her role fresh and fun. Pullman misses, generally, but it isn't his fault - his character isn't given enough screen time for us really appreciate him. Roth is marvelous, as always.
Fact is, this flick is not all that good, but it's not because of the actors. The plot is contrived and, frankly, not well-conceived enough for believability. And it needed believability to work. There are one or two too many characters, leaving us wanting more of almost all of them - but a bit less of Travolta (which is rare) because his character just doesn't quite work. There are some genuinely funny moments, but not enough to sustain the whole experience.
All in all, Lucky Numbers is a decent way to spend a couple of hours, but it isn't worth buying. This one isn't worth owning but it's a worthy rental if you'd like to see a classic example of a few really good performances going to waste and maybe have a few laughs.
Movie Review: Same old story......with a weak twist
Summary: 2 Stars
Disappointment. That sums up this movie. I went into this one with little expectations and it couldn't even meet those. The plot was ridiculously simple and the acting was incredibly bland. The overall premise of a guy down on his luck who resorts to a criminal undertaking and then halfway through the movie realizes he's in over his head has been used and abused. Two thumbs down to Travolta for taking the role. He acted great, but the movie as a whole just wasn't that good. Sorry, 2 starsMovie Review: A very dull and poorly defined movie
Summary: 2 Stars
We watched about half before losing interest and going to bed. No laughs and very generic characters that are boring, unrelatable, and pathetic. Poorly defined, a total waste of time.