Movie Review – Lucky Numbers (2000 United States)
Oh my! So funny, so well written, so well acted, and even Harrisburg PA (which I know well) looks great.
John Travolta is a wonderful comedic actor, and he has never been better than in this dark comedy about the Weather Guy on the local TV news who dreams of being so much more—a game show host, for pity's sake.
Watch this very funny movie right now:
Watch the trailer for Lucky Numbers:
Lisa Kudrow is wonderful as the always-PMS’ing Lottery Ball Girl, all mall hair and utter self-absorption. “F**k me, no fried clams!" she fumes at a restaurant while simultaneously ordering diner and breaking the news to Travolta's sweetly optimistic—albeit delusional—Russ Richards that her cousin —and their cover—is dead (oh, yeah, and that she killed him).
Also worthy of note: Tim Roth as Mephistopheles, who happens to own the local strip joint and who seduces Travolta's Faust into being a Bad Boy, seemingly just for the sheer joy of it since he has nothing to gain. There isn't a wasted shot or a bad score choice, and even the Hollywood-faux snow was convincing enough to this snow-savvy girl in a pivotal comedic moment as we watch a semi jackknife with the same purposeful, balletesque seriousness of intent usually reserved in movies for Grand Events.
Highly recommended.
Copyright © Roberta Lee 2012. All rights reserved.
(I am an artist and the author of the Suburban Sprawl series of novels as well as two nonfiction books. Find out more about my work at RobertaLeeArt.com.)
Genre: Dark Comedy
Rated: R
Running Time: 1 hr. 45 min.
In Theaters: Oct 27, 2000
On DVD: Mar 20, 2001
Box Office:$9.5M
Distributor:Paramount Pictures
Directed By: Nora Ephron
Written By: Adam Resnick
Cast:
John Travolta - Russ Richards
Lisa Kudrow - Crystal Latroy
Tim Roth - Gig
Ed O'Neill - Dick
Michael Rapaport - Dale
Daryl Mitchell - Chambers
Bill Pullman - Lakewood
Richard Schiff - Jerry Green
Michael Moore - Walter
