Lucky You (2007)

OK

if you play any cards what so ever then you wont like this movie. If you have so babe around your soldier and want to get in her pants, then this movie might work September 26, 2008

3.5 stars -- above average look at why poker has gotten so popular

In my experience, movies with the word "lucky" in the title are typically ironic tales about people that have no luck. That is both true and untrue in "Lucky You", a character study, dramatic slice of life, and romance whose main point of existence is to extol the virtues that made poker and online gambling overwhlemingly popular in this country and elsewhere.

"Lucky You" is the story of a lowlife card shark (Eric Bana), his relationship with a high ethics singer that wanders into his life (Drew Barrymore), and his love-hate relationship with his father (Robert Duvall), who taught him the game, alienated the boy, and bested him at it all his life.

Set in Las Vegas, of course, this morality tale about love, life, family, people and money doesn't have the elements of the greatest Las Vegas films like "Casino". Still, the strong work of the leads carries this movie. I've never seen Barrymore more erotic, seductive and persuasive than in her one-dimensional characterization here. This low pressure look at Americana has a feel and acting nearly as good as the much better and underappreciated "A Slipping Down Life", where another pair of lovebirds played out a similar lifestyle in the Southern music industry.

More than anything else, this movie is about the popularity of one of America's fastest-growing Internet and real-life pastimes -- gambling and, in particular, poker. The final scenes, set in the World Series of Poker in Las Vegas, realistically depict the righteous media coverage this sports has obtained via pay per view, ESPN and other worldwide television outlets.

While little of its intellectual appeal is present, some of the drama, competitiveness, tension and irascibility of the sport is made apparent in these closing scenes. Throughout the film, the lead character's addiction to gambling is everpresent and made real on screen by a fellow that can't stop it from overtaking him. This mellows in the happy final scenes, of course, where the good guy does the right thing, gets the girl, and makes up for decades of disparagement with dad.

It's one of filmdom's most time-honoroed cliches, played for emotional appeal to close out this little movie. I admit I liked this film almost from the start and found most of its characters -- many bit parts are played by very familiar faces -- interesting, likeable and worth my time. This doesn't make it a great film but it does render it worthwhile. I'd say it's probably going to be worth your time, too. August 12, 2008

Not what I expected...

I watched this movie on cable, hoping for a nice romantic comedy because that is what it was listed as... Not what I got. It was exceptionally boring. Lots of poker, but it is fake staged poker so where is the fun. I did not laugh or even crack a smile through the whole movie. Disappointing. July 19, 2008

Maybe not so lucky

Lucky You, in a nut shell, is about a obsessed gambler played by Eric Bana who falls for a wannabe singer played by Drew Barrymore. The story leads you down Bana's path to the World Series where he hopes to get his big break, along the way learning how to manage not only his money and gambling but his normal life as well. I won't go too into the movie's story but the basic plot is Bana learns his leason at the end and all loose ends are tied in a nice little package.
My main problem with this movie is the pacing and softness of the over all film. It's REALLY slow and never really reaches a pinnacle high point, it pretty much stays in a conservative state the entire film from start to finish. Even at the end when you don't feel like there's a climax happening, just another thing in Bana's life. Barrymore's performance was really weak as well. She was awkwardly cheesy and boreing in every scene she was in, and the ones where her and Bana are together you don't get that sense of synergy between the actors. Now I think Bana did a good job, he definitely played the part of the struggling poker player. As with all the other reviews I'm going to compare this to Rounder's, the quintessential poker movie. Granted that movie was more about the underground poker scene in the mid to late nineties, there was a strong story that you wanted to see how it ended. Watching Matt Damon's character as he loses his life's savings and trying to figure out who he is and what he's meant for is a real pleasure to watch with a very dramatic show off at the end. This is something Luck You misses because you don't really care about Bana's character or what happens to him. There isn't that urge to root for the good guy to win over all adversity because again, there's really nothing for him to battle besides himself. My final verdict, this is at most a weekend rental. Watching this once is enough and there isn't any real poker stratagy thrown in either unlike Rounder's where the famous phrase, "it's not the cards it's the player" originated. June 22, 2008

i love this film when most didn't

Lucky You
i may be one of the few who loved this film
then again look at the stellar cast
eric bana who just looks good no matter what
robert duvall is great
so is drew June 15, 2008

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