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Lucky Numbers (1999)
Tomatometer
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Reviews Counted:93
Fresh:21
Rotten:72
Average Rating:4/10
Consensus: Nora Ephron's attempt at dark comedy is an uneven product, both in terms of the direction and the acting. The characters are unlikable to the point where you don't care what happens to them, and Ephron condescends to the material.
Runtime: 1 hr 45 mins
Genre: Comedies
Synopsis: Russ Richards (John Travolta) seems to have it all. A popular local television weatherman from Harrisburg, Pennsylvania, he has a reserved parking space and table at his favorite restaurant, a... Russ Richards (John Travolta) seems to have it all. A popular local television weatherman from Harrisburg, Pennsylvania, he has a reserved parking space and table at his favorite restaurant, a beautiful Jaguar convertible, and a rambling house. Unfortunately, he's also squandered most of his money, and the snowmobile dealership that he owns is going under because of a warm winter that shows no signs of snow. Desperate for a financial break, Russ seeks guidance from his friend Gig (Tim Roth), a sleazy Brit who owns a strip club and has connections with various undesirables. Initially, Gig's suggestion that Russ should rig the state lottery makes Russ cringe, but out of desperation he enlists the help of the Lotto lady, Crystal (Lisa Kudrow), and they fix the numbers of a six-million-dollar drawing. Of course, the plan goes terribly wrong in this clever dark comedy from director Nora Ephron (YOU'VE GOT MAIL, SLEEPLESS IN SEATTLE). The all-star cast includes Michael Rapaport as psychotic Dale the Thug, Bill Pullman as lackadaisical Detective Lakewood, Ed O'Neill as Crystal and Russ's boss, and Michael Moore as Crystal's seemingly straitlaced cousin. [More]
Starring: John Travolta, Lisa Kudrow, Ed O'Neill, Tim Roth
Starring: John Travolta, Lisa Kudrow, Ed O'Neill, Tim Roth, Michael Weston, Michael Rapaport, Michael Moore, Daryl Mitchell, Bill Pullman, Nick Loren
Director: Nora Ephron
Director: Nora Ephron
Producer: Nora Ephron, Andrew Lazar, Jonathan D. Krane, Sean Daniel
Screenwriter: Adam Resnick
Studio: Paramount Pictures
Reviews for Lucky Numbers
With this dud of a dark comedy, it's clear that director Nora Ephron's unluckiest number is that of John Travolta.
Lucky Numbers" builds from a shaky first act and actually gets funnier as the tone gets darker.
a black comedy that would have been much funnier and edgier if it hadn't been softened up to accomodate a star of Travolta's magnitude.
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