Charles Martin Smith, Debra Messing, Delaine Yates

A hotshot poker player tries to win a tournament in Vegas, but is fighting a losing battle with his personal problems.

Flixster Users

33% liked it

201,435 ratings

Critics

29% liked it

136 critics

PG-13, 2 hrs. 4 min.

Directed by: Curtis Hanson

Release Date: May 1, 2007

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DVD Release Date: September 18, 2007

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Flixster Reviews (6,335)


  • August 4, 2008
    "You got it backwards kid. You play cards the way you should lead your life. And you lead your life the way you should play cards."

    ...( read more).photobucket.com/albums/w25/EarthlyAlien/lucky_you_0600.jpg" border="0" alt="Photobucket">

    It's curious to see a film like Lucky You hit the big screen over two years following the zenith of The World Series of Poker, which has lost popularity fairly steadily since then. However, I would go so far as to say that the producers felt it was entrapping those hardcore poker fans, as well as the casual filmgoer with big name stars such as Eric Bana, Drew Barrymore, Robert Duvall, and Robert Downey Jr. Then there are the cinemaphiles, like myself, who would see it solely to see whether writer-director Curtis Hanson will ever recapture the magic of his 1997 masterpiece L.A. Confidential.

    Huck Cheever (Bana) is a world-class poker player, skilled in reading those people sitting across from him with ease (as well as garnering one-night stands). However, he has consistently been held back by his emotions, which hinder and eventually destroy his game. While at a tournament in Vegas he meets the lovely Billie Offer (Barrymore), a young singer with a great deal of heart, but little in the way of talent. Billie has her own talent for reading people, but this lay in sorting through a person's personality and emotions, determining what they really want and need. Huck's greatest opposition lies in the venerable poker legend L.C. Cheever (Duvall), who also happens to be his father. For their own parts, both Billie and Cheever the senior are attempting to teach Huck life lessons that will help him not only at the table, but in life in general.

    Lucky You is one those films made to be enjoyed and then forgotten - and that doesn't have to be a necessarily bad thing. Enjoying poker (playing and watching) will, of course, make it particularly worthwhile, but there's something here for anyone looking for a good time. One thing I can assure you: this is way better than 21 (another "Vegas" film that came out this year) which somehow wanted to be something it's not. Lucky You doesn't. All it ever wanted was to be a sweet, innocent rom-com, that happens to take place in Vegas and deal with poker.

    The acting, despite its woefully clichéd plot, is fairly solid. Bana gives a fine turn, as he usually does, raising the issue of how long it will take for the talented Aussie to get his big break. His performance is a perfect characterization of a man obsessed with what he does, living from tournament to tournament with little else in his life. Barrymore, who still looks like she could be twenty, is also quite good. Her character does tend to be a bit of an annoyance, but she brings a great deal to the proverbial table providing several strong moments. Duvall is great as the sagacious legend. It was amazing watching the father-son banter between Duvall and Bana throughout the film as the two men played off of each other very well. The biggest let-down in the acting department is the under use of the supporting cast. Downey Jr., Debra Messing, and Jean Smart were terrific in their roles, which amounted to be little more than bit parts.

    The writing is surprisingly solid-average for a romantic comedy. The characters are well-written, the dialogue flows smoothly, and the plot develops very well... particularly well, considering how, well, middling the plot itself is. Moreover, for a plot as clichéd as that of Lucky You the poker and Vegas clichés are used sparingly, yet added some terrific dialogue to the film itself. The actual tournament segments of the film are fairly well-done. While they don't match the intensity of those in Rounders they certainly keep the viewer engrossed and entertained. In fact, I preferred the actual table drama in this to the one in Casino Royale. It did drag slightly, and the two-hour runtime can be a bit excessive, but the table banter (particularly with Duvall and Bana) kept things rolling for the most part.

    All in all, Lucky You is a fairly satisfying film. Its only major weakness is in its predictability and pacing, though the latter is not really a cause for concern. The acting is strong, the writing is fairly good, and the actual tournament sequences are very entertaining... much more so than that which can be found on ESPN. Nothing about the film is Oscar-worthy, but it's a good way to spend an afternoon (girlfriend/boyfriend is always a good choice, especially if both like cards), and guess what? I enjoyed it more than Spider-Man 3. That's gotta worth something.
  • June 3, 2008
    There's alot of excellent movies about poker/gambling. This ain't one of them. Enjoyable though. Bana and Duvall good as always.
  • May 15, 2008
    Not even my love for Eric Bana could save me from hating Lucky you. Bana and Barrymore have absolutely no chemistry, there's just no spark between them. At times its hard to tell what the film wants to be comedy or a serious drama, looking at it now maybe it should have stuck to ...( read more)the drama and left the romcom stuff alone, it would have worked much better. I'm not a fan of the whole gambling/poker thing either but that can't be used as an excuse cuz i loved rounders and casino royale. So check it out ONLY if you're seriously devoted to one of the cast other than that its just not worth it
  • May 9, 2008
    Enjoyed the father son relationship between Duvall and Bana. Also enjoyed Barrymore's subdued supporting performance. When you factor in the interesting poker scenes and a satisfying ending this film rates a thumbs up .
  • April 23, 2008
    Enjoyable enough for poker fans, but overall, too many other stupid things going on. It solidified my conviction that Drew Barrymore should stick to strictly comedic roles.
  • October 29, 2009
    It was on the sad side, but Drew and Eric were good together. As usual, Robert Downey, Jr. gave it his all!
  • October 29, 2009
    Utter Hogwash of Melo-Dramatic BullSh*t!
  • October 27, 2009
    Recommended by ruby1029.
  • October 27, 2009
    i started the movie thinking that it's a boring film (because of what i read on imdb) but after the first few minutes i realized that it was actually quite enjoyable, i liked the whole father son relationship and the poker games; the only downside was the lack of chemistry betwee...( read more)n Drew and Eric (they didn't convince me as a couple and Drew annoyed me here). in the small little scene where Robert Downey Jr. shows up was very funny.

    as usual Eric Bana looked great here and did a good job too along with Robert Duvall. this movie could be a little slow but it's still a nice watch, i even enjoyed it more than Rounders.

    P.S the scene in where Eric is running for a bet and wins in the end but then Drew tells him that he lost by a second pissed me off, i mean come on it's only a second do you have to mention it !
  • August 28, 2009
    you win some & lose some... I don't like gambling...

Critic Reviews


May 4, 2007
Stephanie Zacharek, Salon.com

Even if you think you know where Lucky You is headed, there's something pleasurable about watching it unfold. full review

May 4, 2007
Claudia Puig, USA Today

Dispassionate and dull despite some strong performances, Lucky You just feels played out. full review

May 4, 2007
Moira MacDonald, Seattle Times

Movies, like poker, can result in some unexpected combinations. Who knew, for example, that the director of L.A. Confidential and the screenwriter of The Insider and Munich, working together, would ad... full review

May 4, 2007
Mick LaSalle, San Francisco Chronicle

Unfortunately, somebody seems to have had the idea that Lucky You should be a long movie -- that way, we might take it more seriously, perhaps. full review

May 4, 2007
A.O. Scott, The New York Times

Even though Lucky You is sometimes dull and generally thin, there is something winning about the movie's genial lack of ambition.

May 4, 2007
Kyle Smith, New York Post

Staying home and playing solitaire would be two levels more interesting than watching this movie, which is directed, or rather embalmed, by L.A. Confidential man Curtis Hanson. full review

May 4, 2007
Colin Covert, The Minneapolis Star Tribune

Lucky You is a penny-ante movie about high-stakes Las Vegas poker. It's a tepid and flavorless effort despite a notable cast and a generally strong director. full review

May 4, 2007
Amy Biancolli, Houston Chronicle

In the end, Lucky You lays out poker as a sterile corporate undertaking. For lovers of the game and lovers of the cinema, it's far from a safe bet. full review

May 4, 2007
Liam Lacey, Globe and Mail

From the opening scene, the movie is flatter than week-old beer. full review

View more Lucky You reviews at RottenTomatoes.com

Comments


  • hotboys10
    June 16, 2007
    hey i love tha movie
  • waelchingy
    May 13, 2007
    hello feen . man ilove bas ana wael rock ok bye
  • wog03
    May 5, 2007
    it's funny when people that have no idea about poker can critise such a greate movie get ya facts right!!!!
  • InfamousHu
    May 4, 2007
    Fun to see how people can write reviews of movies that arent even out yet.

Critic ratings and reviews powered by RottenTomatoes.com

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Lucky You Trivia


  • When Artoo gets spit out in "the empire strikes back" by a sea monster, Luke's line was altered to "You're lucky you got out of there!" What was the original line?  Answer »
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