Movie review: The Lucky Ones
The Neil Burger-directed “The Lucky Ones” follows three soldiers on a cross-country trip, each searching for something in their lives. It’s a little flip to call it a “Wizard of Oz” in the real world, but there are some similarities — including an over-the-top tornado.
Burger directed “The Illusionist,” and was the writer-director of “Interview with the Assassin.” He’s a writer-director here as well; he shares writing credit with Dirk Wittenborn.
After suffering an injury while on patrol, Sgt. T.K. Poole (Michael Peña, “Lions for Lambs”) is granted a one-month leave. When a blackout shuts down flights out of New York, T.K. shares a ride with two other stranded soldiers: Colee (Rachel McAdams, “The Notebook”), a private who is returning a guitar for a fallen friend; and Cheever (Tim Robbins), an older serviceman who’s finished his stint.
Cheever’s headed home to St. Louis. Colee and T.K. are heading for Vegas; Colee’s friend’s family lives there, and T.K., it turns out, is heading to Las Vegas for another reason. Before he visits his fiancée, he wants to make sure he still has the ability to function sexually — he was hit by shrapnel in a private area, and hasn’t been able to make things work since.
Stopping in St. Louis, Cheever is hit with a double whammy — things at home aren’t what they seem, and his son needs $20,000 in a matter of days to keep his scholarship to Stanford.
Thus, Colee, T.K. and Cheever head out on the road again, now all bound for Las Vegas. Colee in search of a family to replace the one she has no contact with; T.K. seeking a return of his mojo; and Cheever seeking $20,000. It’s part road trip, part comedy, part relationship film. The flotilla of mishaps that befall these three are reminiscent of “Planes, Trains, and Automobiles,” though “The Lucky Ones” is nowhere near that funny. “The Lucky Ones” would likely fare better with audiences if it had been either funnier or more serious; as it is, it’s stuck between. Still, the chemistry between the three actors makes “The Lucky Ones” worth a look.
— Matthew Price
MOVIE REVIEW
“The Lucky Ones”
R 1:55 2 ½ stars
Starring: Rachel McAdams, Tim Robbins, Michael Peña.
(Language and sexual content.)
From Friday’s The Oklahoman
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WOW. Five Hundred and Fifty Two and a half stars?!!?! That’s, like, the highest rated movie of all time!!!!