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Lucky Numbers
List Price: Unknown [Buy now and save at Amazon]
The Movie:
It was not a particularly good year for John Travolta in 2000. First, "Battlefield Earth" turned into one of the biggest cinematic jokes of the past 25 years, then this small Nora Ephron vehicle recieved decent reviews, but never really went anywhere at the box office. Travolta plays Russ Richards, a small-town weatherman who is a minor celebrity in the area that he lives in. The only problem is that he's spent a little too much on luxry items and finds himself in the need of some quick cash.
After a botched robbery, Russ turns again to the advice of Gig(Tim Roth), who tells him that he might consider rigging the Pennsylvania state lottery. It's convienient that he happens to be able to get to the lotto balls and, he's having an affair with the lotto girl Crystal(Lisa Kudrow), as well.
Things go well and they're able to pull off the scam, but like "Fargo" and "A Simple Plan", more and more people find out about the money and things get worse and worse - the film plays like a darkly comic version of the two films mixed together, with the exception that it isn't nearly as well written. I could see a lot of this picture working had it been somewhat better written by screenwriter Adam Resnick(whose previous credits include writing and directing of the Chris Elliot cult flop "Cabin Boy").
None of the characters are very sympathetic and/or are self-absorbed and unlikable. I've never considered Travolta to be an actor with a great sense of comedic timing and, although he does a passable job here, another actor possibly could have made more out of this character. Kudrow is a talented actress who does well with her ditzy character on "Friends", but here, she simply seems to be doing a darker version of that character. In fact, the supporting characters are more enjoyable - especially Tim Roth as Gig and Ed O'Neill, the station manager who is also having an affair with Crystal.
All of the characters appear slow-witted, so it becomes even harder to attempt to root for any of them, much less find their actions amusing. I've never considered Ephron a particularly excellent director, although her script for "When Harry Met Sally" still stands out as a fine piece of work. There's a handful of light laughs here, but nothing that really adds up - and there's even a few gags that could have worked, but fall flat. After quite a few attempts at lighter fare ("Sleepless In Seattle", "You've Got Mail"), "Lucky Numbers" has Ephron going dark and not finding much in the way of laughs or engaging characters in the process.
Note: Fans of the TV series "Whose Line Is It Anyway?" might try to spot star Colin Mochrie in a small role.
The DVD
VIDEO: Paramount presents another fine anamorphic transfer for "Lucky Numbers", and similar to their recent release of "Wonder Boys", the picture is excellent with only a few minor flaws to keep it from reaching greatness. Sharpness and detail are solid throughout, with the picture remaining consistently crisp and well-defined.
A few minor problems are visible from time to time. A few minor print flaws appear occasionally, just some minor marks and speckles. A couple of scenes seem a tiny bit grainy, as well. Still, the picture is free and clear of such problems as pixelation and shimmering.
Colors vary throughout, from the bold stage colors of the club to the more subdued colors of the station offices and Russ's favorite eatery, Denny's. "Lucky Numbers" is not visually remarkable in any way, but Paramount's strong work makes for an enjoyable viewing experience.
SOUND: "Lucky Numbers" pretty much remains the definition of what "comedy audio" generally is regarded as - a dialogue-driven piece that offers a light background score and very rare surround use. Dialogue remains clear and easily understood, but it literally is almost all there is to it for most of "Lucky Numbers".
MENUS:: As with most Paramount titles (although there are a few exceptions), menus are non-animated, providing basic film-themed backgrounds.
EXTRAS:
Commentary: This is a commentary from director Nora Ephron. Although I've never really been a fan of her movies, she's done fine commentary tracks in the past, managing to be informative and entertaining. Although she doesn't provide a great deal of information about the production here, I still found her a likable and warm speaker, who often energetically shares her feelings about what goes by on-screen without simply telling us what's going on currently in the film.
The track does suffer a bit as Ephron isn't paired up with another participant like she usually is during her tracks. This results more than often in a bit of silence before the next thought. Some of these silences are lengthier than others, but never did the silences become distracting (the "Am I still listening to a commentary?" kind). Not a great commentary track, but Ephron does provide some interesting thoughts about the story and production and her light tone keeps the discussion at least mildly engaging between the pauses of silence.
Cast and Crew Interviews: As with many of Paramount's recent releases, a group of interviews with the cast and crew (Ephron, Travolta, etc) are included. These interviews aren't terribly informative, mainly discussing the story and their roles. Although I liked listening to Ephron during the commentary tracks, I honestly laughed when she calls Kudrow's part here "one of the great women's parts of all time". Aside from that bit of oddness, there's not too much to be taken out of these interviews.
Also: The trailer.
Final Thoughts: Although Paramount has done fine work with their DVD release for "Lucky Numbers", I found the movie to be just fair. Those who enjoyed the film though, will be pleased with Paramount's release.
It was not a particularly good year for John Travolta in 2000. First, "Battlefield Earth" turned into one of the biggest cinematic jokes of the past 25 years, then this small Nora Ephron vehicle recieved decent reviews, but never really went anywhere at the box office. Travolta plays Russ Richards, a small-town weatherman who is a minor celebrity in the area that he lives in. The only problem is that he's spent a little too much on luxry items and finds himself in the need of some quick cash.
After a botched robbery, Russ turns again to the advice of Gig(Tim Roth), who tells him that he might consider rigging the Pennsylvania state lottery. It's convienient that he happens to be able to get to the lotto balls and, he's having an affair with the lotto girl Crystal(Lisa Kudrow), as well.
Things go well and they're able to pull off the scam, but like "Fargo" and "A Simple Plan", more and more people find out about the money and things get worse and worse - the film plays like a darkly comic version of the two films mixed together, with the exception that it isn't nearly as well written. I could see a lot of this picture working had it been somewhat better written by screenwriter Adam Resnick(whose previous credits include writing and directing of the Chris Elliot cult flop "Cabin Boy").
None of the characters are very sympathetic and/or are self-absorbed and unlikable. I've never considered Travolta to be an actor with a great sense of comedic timing and, although he does a passable job here, another actor possibly could have made more out of this character. Kudrow is a talented actress who does well with her ditzy character on "Friends", but here, she simply seems to be doing a darker version of that character. In fact, the supporting characters are more enjoyable - especially Tim Roth as Gig and Ed O'Neill, the station manager who is also having an affair with Crystal.
All of the characters appear slow-witted, so it becomes even harder to attempt to root for any of them, much less find their actions amusing. I've never considered Ephron a particularly excellent director, although her script for "When Harry Met Sally" still stands out as a fine piece of work. There's a handful of light laughs here, but nothing that really adds up - and there's even a few gags that could have worked, but fall flat. After quite a few attempts at lighter fare ("Sleepless In Seattle", "You've Got Mail"), "Lucky Numbers" has Ephron going dark and not finding much in the way of laughs or engaging characters in the process.
Note: Fans of the TV series "Whose Line Is It Anyway?" might try to spot star Colin Mochrie in a small role.
The DVD
VIDEO: Paramount presents another fine anamorphic transfer for "Lucky Numbers", and similar to their recent release of "Wonder Boys", the picture is excellent with only a few minor flaws to keep it from reaching greatness. Sharpness and detail are solid throughout, with the picture remaining consistently crisp and well-defined.
A few minor problems are visible from time to time. A few minor print flaws appear occasionally, just some minor marks and speckles. A couple of scenes seem a tiny bit grainy, as well. Still, the picture is free and clear of such problems as pixelation and shimmering.
Colors vary throughout, from the bold stage colors of the club to the more subdued colors of the station offices and Russ's favorite eatery, Denny's. "Lucky Numbers" is not visually remarkable in any way, but Paramount's strong work makes for an enjoyable viewing experience.
SOUND: "Lucky Numbers" pretty much remains the definition of what "comedy audio" generally is regarded as - a dialogue-driven piece that offers a light background score and very rare surround use. Dialogue remains clear and easily understood, but it literally is almost all there is to it for most of "Lucky Numbers".
MENUS:: As with most Paramount titles (although there are a few exceptions), menus are non-animated, providing basic film-themed backgrounds.
EXTRAS:
Commentary: This is a commentary from director Nora Ephron. Although I've never really been a fan of her movies, she's done fine commentary tracks in the past, managing to be informative and entertaining. Although she doesn't provide a great deal of information about the production here, I still found her a likable and warm speaker, who often energetically shares her feelings about what goes by on-screen without simply telling us what's going on currently in the film.
The track does suffer a bit as Ephron isn't paired up with another participant like she usually is during her tracks. This results more than often in a bit of silence before the next thought. Some of these silences are lengthier than others, but never did the silences become distracting (the "Am I still listening to a commentary?" kind). Not a great commentary track, but Ephron does provide some interesting thoughts about the story and production and her light tone keeps the discussion at least mildly engaging between the pauses of silence.
Cast and Crew Interviews: As with many of Paramount's recent releases, a group of interviews with the cast and crew (Ephron, Travolta, etc) are included. These interviews aren't terribly informative, mainly discussing the story and their roles. Although I liked listening to Ephron during the commentary tracks, I honestly laughed when she calls Kudrow's part here "one of the great women's parts of all time". Aside from that bit of oddness, there's not too much to be taken out of these interviews.
Also: The trailer.
Final Thoughts: Although Paramount has done fine work with their DVD release for "Lucky Numbers", I found the movie to be just fair. Those who enjoyed the film though, will be pleased with Paramount's release.
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