Intacto (2001)

72% of critics liked it
(72 reviews)
81% of users liked it
(7,642 ratings)

Some people are born with good luck, but others try to attain it however they can -- and at any cost -- in this offbeat psychological thriller from Spain. Samuel Berg (Max Von Sydow) is an elderly man who lives beneath a gambling casino on an island off the Spanish coast. In Berg's world, good… More Some people are born with good luck, but others try to attain it however they can -- and at any cost -- in this offbeat psychological thriller from Spain. Samuel Berg (Max Von Sydow) is an elderly man who lives beneath a gambling casino on an island off the Spanish coast. In Berg's world, good fortune is a commodity that can be acquired from others, and while would-be gambler Federico (Eusebio Poncela) has a genuine talent for taking good luck from those who have it, Berg's gift is even stronger, and after a long day of absorbing positive vibrations from winning gamblers, Berg steals the day's "take" from him, leaving Federico to plan his revenge. Federico becomes aware of Tomas (Leonardo Sbaraglia), a man who recently survived a plane crash, and is convinced he has even more luck than Berg can overcome; the two become partners, and Federico enters Tomas in an underground tournament designed to determine who Lady Luck smiles upon most sweetly. After Federico and Tomas win a handsome home from Alejandro (Antonio Dechent), a former bullfighter, the pair seems poised to go up against Berg and claim his luck as their own, but Sara (Monica Lopez), a police investigator, is convinced Federico and Tomas are up to no good and begins exploring their bizarre secret world. Intacto received its American premiere at the 2002 Sundance Film Festival. ~ Mark Deming, Rovi

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Rating, Runtime: R, 1 hr. 48 min.
Directed By: Juan Carlos Fresnadillo
Written By: Andres Koppel, Juan Carlos Fresnadillo
Genres: Drama, Art House & International, Mystery & Suspense

In Theaters: Dec 20, 2002 Limited
On DVD: Jun 24, 2003
Studio: Lions Gate Films

Critic Reviews

Jan Stuart, Newsday
Fresnadillo has something serious to say about the ways in which extravagant chance can distort our perspective and throw us off the path of good sense.
Geoff Pevere, Toronto Star
The casting of von Sydow ... is itself Intacto's luckiest stroke.
Liam Lacey, Globe and Mail
Nothing if not hip, but its questions are more coffee-shop hypothetical than genuinely profound.
Roger Ebert, Chicago Sun-Times
I admired Intacto more than I liked it, for its ingenious construction and the way it keeps a certain chilly distance between its story and the dangers of popular entertainment.
Loren King, Chicago Tribune
A clever, original thriller that bows to no genre.
Steven Rea, Philadelphia Inquirer
Its use of the thriller form to examine the labyrinthine ways in which people's lives cross and change, buffeted by events seemingly out of their control, is intriguing, provocative stuff.
Kevin Carr, 7M Pictures
While it runs a bit slow, Intacto doesn't bore, and the ending is interesting to see played out, if not a bit predictable.
Dragan Antulov, Draxblog Movie Reviews
one of those European genre films that look much superior to Hollywood even when they are obviously below the standards of genre excellence
Josh Bell, Las Vegas Weekly
Rarely is a film about the supernatural as thoughtful and affecting as Intacto; even more rarely does that kind of film attract an audience.
Brian Mckay, eFilmCritic.com
Though at times the rules of this luck-stealing underworld aren't exactly clear, and the plot becomes a bit mired in its own cleverness, Intacto is an intriguing notion.
Dennis Schwartz, Ozus' World Movie Reviews
I got a headache watching this meaningless downer.
Lawrence Toppman, Charlotte Observer
Like a sprinter competing in his first distance race: It bursts forth with tremendous energy, sustains itself for quite a while, loses steam near the end but finishes ahead of most of the pack.
Ed Gonzalez, Slant Magazine
Lions Gate Home Entertainment offers a surprisingly meaty collection of features on this DVD edition of Juan Carlos Fresnadillo's pretentious and vacuous thriller.
Ian Waldron-Mantgani, UK Critic
The movie doesn't generate a lot of energy. It is dark, brooding and slow, and takes its central idea way too seriously.

Read all 14 critic reviews

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Featured Audience Ratings

Greg S

The interesting premise to this Spanish thriller is that some people are luckier than others, and those with the gift of luck play in a series of secret tournaments where they face off against each other, sometimes for fatal stakes. Max von Sydow, playing a Holocaust survivor, is the… More
The interesting premise to this Spanish thriller is that some people are luckier than others, and those with the gift of luck play in a series of secret tournaments where they face off against each other, sometimes for fatal stakes. Max von Sydow, playing a Holocaust survivor, is the luckiest man alive---but can a man who miraculously survived an airplane crash unseat him? The idea of the underground luck circuit, and the strange, ritualistic games they play to determine who among them is the luckiest, is the most interesting thing about it; the rest of the movie is moody, humorless, and distant, and doesn't generate as much suspense as you might hope.
Curt C

Interesting premise, in which luck is an actual gift that some people possess, who then compete against each other in a series of challenges to determine the luckiest person on earth. At the same time, a wanted criminal is being chased by a cop who possesses this same gift. The… More
Interesting premise, in which luck is an actual gift that some people possess, who then compete against each other in a series of challenges to determine the luckiest person on earth. At the same time, a wanted criminal is being chased by a cop who possesses this same gift. The games of luck are fun to watch, and there is always the looming question of which of the characters is actually the luckiest. Not a lot of substance beyond the basic premise.
Nicolas K

A truly original film, in all levels. A must see.
Andre T

This thriller was first released in Spain during November, 2001, and then internationally on the film festival circuit in 2002. It was directed by Juan Carlos Fresnadillo.It stars Leonardo Sbaraglia, Eusebio Poncela, Mónica López, Antonio Dechent, and Max von Sydow.The film depicts… More
This thriller was first released in Spain during November, 2001, and then internationally on the film festival circuit in 2002. It was directed by Juan Carlos Fresnadillo.It stars Leonardo Sbaraglia, Eusebio Poncela, Mónica López, Antonio Dechent, and Max von Sydow.The film depicts an underground trade in luck; where fortune flows from those who have less to those who have more. Rooted in magical realism, the premise purports that luck can be amassed and transferred as any other commodity.The story follows several participants as they engage in literal games of chance, each one more risky than the last to eliminate the unlucky.With an european art film mood, this film is a surprise with an original screenplay and growing unexpected climax.
deb .

<b>"Your gift I discovered and your gift I take away"</b> This Spanish thriller is about having the power to steal another's luck, and then pushing that luck to the deadliest degree for sport. A bank robber, who is the sole survivor of a plane crash is… More
<b>"Your gift I discovered and your gift I take away"</b> This Spanish thriller is about having the power to steal another's luck, and then pushing that luck to the deadliest degree for sport. A bank robber, who is the sole survivor of a plane crash is considered a "lucky" man, and is recruited into an underground gambling ring. It is an intriguing concept and an interesting film, although it doesn't quite capture and draw you in all the way. Some scenes were fascinating though, and I had to watch them over again. Intacto, Spanish for Intact, was oddly entertaining.
Marcus W

A very clever film in the way it weaves a mythology not dissimiliar to Star Wars, only replace "The Force" with "luck". We are shown a world where luck can be given and taken away, where luck is a currency for gambling on peoples very lives and atop it all sits Max… More
A very clever film in the way it weaves a mythology not dissimiliar to Star Wars, only replace "The Force" with "luck". We are shown a world where luck can be given and taken away, where luck is a currency for gambling on peoples very lives and atop it all sits Max Von Sydow as "The Jew". It does suffer in places from being a bit too casual and if they'd been a tad braver with the concept this film could have been superb, but overall it's a wonderfully original film and worth seeing.
MJS M

A Spanish thriller from Juan Carlos Fresnidio, director of 28 Weeks Later. Good filmmaking and deffinately has a number of very good scenes. But the stroy doesn't make much sense and the whole thing is really pretty confusing.
FanGirl B

I love the concept!!! Stylish and well done all around.