Magic Numbers

Nora Ephron's Lucky Numbers has it's moments, but in the long run it is a near miss. The plot has a successfull weatherman and snowmotor businessman played by John Travolta in a somewhat redeemable performance (after Battlefield Earth, even though he wasn't bad in that). But, he starts to get in debt, and his snowmotor business is loosing because of a warm winter. So, he and his girl (Lisa Kudrow is wickedly cruel yet sometimes funny) get the idea to rig the lottery, but things go wrong. The film is all over the map, with too many characters and a lot of plot going into something that doesn't need it, and I'm talking about a dark comedy here, so know where I'm coming from. 2 very funny scenes though almost make up the utter lulls in the film: a scene where Travolta has a blank expression on his face while trying to report the weather and hearing about a murder linked to him; and the 2 exceptional scenes with Michael Moore (of Roger & Me fame) as Kudrow's pathetic, asthmatic cousin. Now if only these scenes were put in a slightly better film. C+

Why wasn't this movie well-received? Simple. It's a "dark" comedy. And let's face it, the general public doesn't like dark comedy. They want to see goofy, Jim-Carrey-type comedies that make you laugh out loud, while making you feel all warm and tingly inside. "Lucky Numbers" doesn't, for a second, make you feel warm and tingly. But I have a dark, cynical sense of humor and this movie was a delight for me to watch. It's a good idea, and it was well-executed. The talented cast helps make the film work. Lisa Kudrow is never fully convincing as her ruthless character, but she's still fun to watch. I do think John Travolta gives one of his best performances, since he doesn't play the usual tough guy you see him play in movies like "Saturday Night Fever" and "Get Shorty." Instead, he plays a total wimp of a celebrity, and he pulls it off with flying colors. The underrated Bill Pullman has some funny moments in his supporting role. I was definitely impressed with Michael Moore, who's never had any acting experience before, yet it's not in any way visible in his very funny performance. Also in the supporting cast, we have Tim Roth, Ed O'Neill and Michael Rapaport--all giving first-rate performances. The movie is set in the 1980's, so I liked some of the cool 80's music in the soundtrack. Yet at the same time, Nora Ephron didn't try to capture the 80's atmosphere by having everyone where dorky 80's fashions and big hair and all that other stuff. "Lucky Numbers" is just a well-written film with a lot of great gags, and I would recommend this to anyone who's a fan of dark comedies.

We've travelled many miles to view Bill Pullman movies and fortunately this one came to our local theatre. Unfortunately, the theatre was not packed, as it should have been, and my loud guffaws bounced from wall to wall. Nora Ephron should have cast Sandra Bullock in the Lottery girl's role....minus the filthy mouth. Too much gratuitous foul language from Lisa Kudrow who also gave a 'forced' performance. Travolta was disarming as the 'oh so cool' weatherman, he carried his role well. Who stole the movie?? Bill Pullman with his comedic skills did!!!! His Officer Lakewood was outstandingly outstanding. His body language and facial expressions communicate admirably to an audience. Hollywood should acknowledge this marvelous actor a bit more.

I love Ephron's signatures, Christmas time, snow globes, pleasant music. How about another Ephron, Pullman, Bullock movie?

This movie desperately needed better screenplay and better ending to it.Fair black comedy though becouse of the great cast and the powers of Travolta and Kudrow.Unfairly cut down by many critics.It is worth a watch as long as you do not expect a classic which I'm sure most knowledgable movie goers will not.The director shoud have made it more underground and less mainstream given the style chosen to do this film.......

I think highly of John Travolta as an actor. After being one of the hottest properties in the eighties, he virtually disappeared for five years and then spent another four years with nothing more substantial than three `Look Who's Talking' movies. Then at 40 years of age, he took an enormous gamble with `Pulp Fiction', making a triumphant comeback and never looking back. Unfortunately, 2000 was not a good year for Travolta. After the lackluster `Battlefield Earth', he needed a project that would help him regain his momentum. This film wasn't it.

`Lucky Numbers' is a dark comedy about two hapless employees of a local Harrisburg TV station who try to fix the state lottery. The screenplay is goofy and has a TV sitcom feel to it. The majority of the jokes don't work. Director Nora Ephron (`Sleepless in Seattle', `Michael', `You've Got Mail') is a talented director, but quirky slapstick is not her strong suit. She does much better with schmaltzy romantic projects.

Travolta hasn't played a character this vacuous since Vinnie Barbarino in `Welcome Back, Kotter'. It is a definite step backward for him, since he has proven himself an excellent dramatic actor. His performance isn't terrible, the character is. For Lisa Kudrow, this is the same ditzy character she has been playing for years, only with a liberal dose of profanity. She does a good job, but the character is extremely predictable with little range. Ed O'Neill is droll as the station manager who tries to cut himself in on the caper.

This film has plenty of talent, but a weak script. I rated it 5/10. It is not awful, but it is extremely mediocre and it didn't provide Travolta with an opportunity to redeem his year.