"Knight Thoughts" -- exclusive web content
 | |  | |  | |  | |  | |  | |  | |  |
Eric Bana and Drew Barrymore roll the dice on romance in Curtis Hanson's latest
Get Your Poker Face On:
Lucky You
5-4-07 "Knight Thoughts" web exclusive
By Richard Knight, Jr.
Lucky You
5-4-07 "Knight Thoughts" web exclusive
By Richard Knight, Jr.
COMPLETE REVIEW COMING SOON. ALL I'LL SAY UP FRONT IS THIS: IF YOU LIKE WATCHING PEOPLE PLAY POKER, RUN DON'T WALK.
IF YOU FIND IT AKIN TO WATCHING PAINT DRY (WHICH I DO), THIS IS NOT THE MOVIE FOR YOU.
After looking over my notes (which follow), I think this initial, succinct assessment is about all I have to say about Lucky You. There
just wasn't much of interest in the picture for a non-gambler like myself. But here are the notes I took during the screening which
point out a couple of other interesting things about the film:
"Great opening scene at the pawn shop where we see that Eric Bana really has the savvy to be a professional gambler"
"Sultry singer Madeline Peyroux is briefly glimpsed and heard singing in one of the Vegas lounges but sadly is not seen (or heard)
again. Too bad."
"Eric says "sometime nothing's enough" as he works his way up to the high stakes tables -- stating the gambler's mantra."
"I love that Drew Barrymore's character knows NOTHING of poker which allows Eric to give her (and the uninformed in the audience
like myself) a quick lesson. I also like that she is sweet and daffy, resorting to type in the absence of much character motivation or
depth from the script."
Debra Messing has two nice scenes as the tough, wised up older sister. Nice change of pace for her.
"It's a very old fashioned picture -- especially the father/son conflict stuff and the Bana character's "lost soul" being saved by the
innocent."
"We are repeatedly told that Bana is a great gambler but we just see him lose and lose and lose and it's a wonder that he ever
makes it to the big tournament."
IF YOU FIND IT AKIN TO WATCHING PAINT DRY (WHICH I DO), THIS IS NOT THE MOVIE FOR YOU.
After looking over my notes (which follow), I think this initial, succinct assessment is about all I have to say about Lucky You. There
just wasn't much of interest in the picture for a non-gambler like myself. But here are the notes I took during the screening which
point out a couple of other interesting things about the film:
"Great opening scene at the pawn shop where we see that Eric Bana really has the savvy to be a professional gambler"
"Sultry singer Madeline Peyroux is briefly glimpsed and heard singing in one of the Vegas lounges but sadly is not seen (or heard)
again. Too bad."
"Eric says "sometime nothing's enough" as he works his way up to the high stakes tables -- stating the gambler's mantra."
"I love that Drew Barrymore's character knows NOTHING of poker which allows Eric to give her (and the uninformed in the audience
like myself) a quick lesson. I also like that she is sweet and daffy, resorting to type in the absence of much character motivation or
depth from the script."
Debra Messing has two nice scenes as the tough, wised up older sister. Nice change of pace for her.
"It's a very old fashioned picture -- especially the father/son conflict stuff and the Bana character's "lost soul" being saved by the
innocent."
"We are repeatedly told that Bana is a great gambler but we just see him lose and lose and lose and it's a wonder that he ever
makes it to the big tournament."
