The basic story is a battle of wills between a man named Federico (Eusebio Poncela) who is seeking revenge against another man named Sam a.k.a. 'The Jew' (played by a devilish Max Von Sydow) who was a Holocaust survivor and who now wins gambling contests of death with an extreme form of Russian roulette (at 5 to 1 odds) which stakes other people's lives as ante.

Sam resides in a gambling establishment he owns situated in the middle of the desert (like a small Las Vegas) where he seems to reign godlike over the all he surveys. At the beginning Sam and his side kick Federico have a falling out and Sam literally takes away Federico's luck. Federico leaves the club in shame but is determined to pay his mentor back.

The rest of the film takes place years later where Federico is training a young protégé named Tomás (Leonardo Sbaragliawho) - who has miraculously survived a plane crash - to take his place. But the young man is not enticed by riches and fame instead he reluctantly steps into this mad game with the hope of getting at the truth of his particular gift. What's more he is being pursued by a cop named Sara (Monica López) – who also has 'the gift' – for robbing a bank prior to the plane crash.

The film feels somewhat like an X-Files episode not only with the use of a red-headed woman agent but in that it has a fantastic element that is never really explained and you have to hold a suspension of disbelief if you want to get the full effect. But its overriding theme about being true and sincere to the people around you is clear: Hence if you are honest you can use your luck to great advantage.

At once a taut thriller and an intellectual game of chance the film takes more twists and turns than you can follow but it all works. All of the characters are connected in ways that they cannot even imagine and it is enjoyable to watch it all come together.

Video:
The film is presented in 1.85:1 anamorphic widescreen and looks good. Most of the scenes take place in dark interiors or outside at night. Unfortunately, the contrast is not as strong as it could be and many of the blacks are not fully saturated. The image has a glossy sheen and there is some artifact noticeable but it is minimal.

Audio:
The audio is in Dolby Digital 5.1 Surround and is impressively loud and noisy in all the proper places.

Extras:
There is a good commentary track by the director in Spanish with subtitles although he spends more time describing each scene and in some cases simple reiterating what we are already seeing. It would have been good to have more behind-the-scenes information. The background stuff is provided in a 16 minute short making of featurette. There is also a five minute special effects featurette, which proves that the film is more elaborate in the technical area than you would think.

Overall:
This is a fine Spanish language film about chance and the consequences of brashly using such powers. Expertly directed, well acted and top notch in all technical departments the film should be seen by anyone interested in dramatic thrillers. It's the kind of movie that really pulls you in from first frame to last. Sure there are plot holes, but the premise is hardly believable to begin with so you might as well go with the ride. Lions Gate had done a fine job with the look and sound of the DVD and provided some good extras. See it before Hollywood conjures up a remake.