“Lucky You” (Warner Brothers)
Better Than “The Hulk”
The charm of Eric Bana escapes me. He doesn’t appear to be that talented or that handsome. So how does he keep landing leading role after leading role His latest is the film “Lucky You” in which he stars opposite Drew Barrymore.” They make a cute couple but the movie is not dynamic enough to drag in a substantial audience. Bana is not a big box office draw but at least he is better in this movie than he was in “The Hulk.” That is damning with faint praise.
Bana plays Huck Cheever, a professional gambler living and working in Las Vegas. His father L C (Robert Duvall) is also a gambler and a consistently big winner. Huck is forever living in his father’s shadow. He hopes that the big Poker Championship will give him a way to prove his worth.
One day Huck meets Billie Offer (Barrymore), an aspiring singer. She is a sweet-natured young woman who has an optimistic outlook on life. Their relationship gets off to a rocky start when Huck “borrows” some of Billie’s money to try to get the entry fee for the Championship.
Debra Messing has a small role as Billie’s sister while Robert Downey, Jr has a cameo as a money man in Vegas. Both have talent that warranted bigger parts in the film.
Bana is okay as Huck but he doesn’t bring anything extra to the role. Barrymore does more with hers. It is her most serious role to date and she gives it sweetness and depth. At the end of the film you feel as if you know Billie. You don’t feel you know Huck.
Duvall is the acting giant in the movie. He dominates each and every scene in which he appears. He is such a natural actor that you just accept him in whatever role he deigns to play. Jean Smart has a small role as a player at his table and you long for Duvall and her character to have some interaction.
The movie is directed by Curtis Hanson who also directed “L A Confidential” and 8 Mile.” This movie had been completed a year before it was released so somebody didn’t have much confidence in it, and having seen it I can see why.
The film is rated PG-13 for profanity.
“Lucky You” is an okay movie about gambling. Gambling is never that interesting on the screen. The worst part of the action packed “Casino Royale” was the gambling part. Watching people bet on cards is not that thrilling.
Eric Bana and the movie are both mediocre. Drew Barrymore and Duvall make a valiant effort but they can’t make the movie more than it is.
I scored “Lucky You” an unlucky 5 out of 10.
