Lucky

LUCKY came third in the Sony Tropfest film competition a few years ago - quite undeservedly so.

Although the film was well made it was ultimately rather pointless. The plot went nowhere - basically 'Lucky', the film's protagonist, tries to escape a moving car. And that's it. The whole storyline.

Need I say more?

It's a shame to think what Lucky's success means in the greater shape of things. Tropfest clearly chose this film for its technical capabilities and stunts as opposed to real story-telling.

That alone seems to go against everything the festival stands for.

'Lucky' is a short film about a man trapped in a speeding cars trunk and what happens when he's able to free himself...

I stumbled across 'Lucky' through a magazine article about new short films and since it could be downloaded I gave it a shot. I was pleasantly surprised by it's looks and the camera works and overall by what could be achieved with so little in terms of set, props and actors. The narrative is tight, which is not a wonder given the films 3 minute running time. The surroundings, a road in the Australian desert, is adds a beautiful touch in terms of gritty realism and the natural light is beautiful. The film has great stunt work and an unexpected 'funny' ending.

Overall it's a very good short film with great production values. If you liked this, you might also try the short 'Prey Alone'.

What an amazing film! It is difficult to tell a story in three minutes with no dialog, but Edgerton manages it beautifully. We know nothing about how the protagonist managed to get into his predicament, but almost immediately we want him to succeed. The camera work, cinematography and stunts are wonderful, and the ending is so unexpected, it reminds us how captivating a film can be, and how rarely we see this kind of quality these days. I wish there were more opportunities for the general public to see short films, because they are really missing out on some great works like this. Here's hoping we see more from this talented filmmaker.