Everybody sing along with Rod Stewart... "Some guys have all the luck."
This startlingly original thriller from Spain posits luck as a tangible, real commodity. Some people have more, some less. But a few lucky souls have the gift of accumulating luck from others, sometimes through as simple a device as a touch or a hug. First-time writer/director Juan Carlos Fresnadillo refers to them in his excellent commentary as "vampires of luck."
He creates an underworld of gifted individuals who gamble the luck they have collected to see which of them is the luckiest. And always, sitting far removed from the petty concerns of the common world, is the supreme master of luck, Samuel "The Jew." Few challengers dare go up against him, for good reason.
I loved this film for its cool, noir-ish style and for its intelligent and internally consistent examination of a hypothetical world view.
As the movie opens, in a great fluid mini-story played underneath the credits, we see one of the gifted individuals, Federico, who works at Samuel's casino. When someone gets a little too lucky at the tables, Federico can take care of it with a casual touch. But unlike William H. Macy's character in The Cooler, Federico keeps their luck for himself. Federico gets a little too cocky, though, and soon finds himself seeking an ally to gather a long-delayed vengeance.
Fast cut to seven years later and we are introduced to Tomas, the sole survivor of a commercial jet crash. We also meet Sara, a hard-boiled detective with some obvious drama hinted at in her past who is determined that Tomas should go to jail for his part in a robbery. There is also a lucky bullfighter who the characters meet along the way. The lives of all these people intertwine in what could be a conventional cat-and-mouse detective story if not for the capricious and combative nature of their luck coming into play. By the time we get to the climactic showdown, the audience has no clue as to whose luck will prove to be the strongest.
The story plays out at a measured, unhurried pace. Debbie, sitting next to me, got impatient at times, but I was always engrossed and caught up in the tale. The director of photography uses shadows and rain to underscore the dark world that the "players" are caught up in. Their addiction to the pursuit of luck dooms those around them, by design or by accident and several characters feel guilty at the luck they undeservedly carry with themselves.
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