Lucky

I had the pleasure of seeing Bari Kang's "Lucky" at the New York City theatrical premiere last week. "Lucky" stands out with a 1970s aesthetic, with many gritty night shots of Kang driving through New York City's streets. The casting is superb, as the film is populated with real character actors, who fully and convincingly embody their characters. Alfredo Diaz is standout in particular, in his role of Fernando, adding a strange and uncomfortable joy to his character's menacing quality, which plays well off of Bari's character, Lucky, who is more restrained, with internal torment. Excited to see what the multi-talented Bari Kang does next!

I was fortunate enough to see Lucky when it premiered at the Urban World Film Festival and was blown away. It exceeded all of my expectations (which were high). The pacing of the film is consistently taut, it's well shot and well acted and I was glued to the screen for the entire ride. Excited for its upcoming release!

With a villain who is truly intense and unrelenting (Mr. Diaz) and a leading man who is sympathetic and very appealing (Mr. King) this film grips the viewer and keeps you involved. Add in a mix of interesting, well played supporting characters and you've got yourself a very entertaining and exciting movie. There's a level of realism here that added to the impact since I felt I was watching a real person facing extreme challenges in the real world. Full of some beautiful shots and great music, I highly recommend this film. And ladies - you're going to love just watching Mr. King - who is truly a beautiful leading man.

First, the only real redeeming value I found in this film is that I grew up and lived in the areas that 75% of this film was shot at, for 35 years. 31st Street in Astoria NY, LIC, Queens Blvd., Woodside, Sunnyside and some in Manhattan. Seeing the old Hood was cool but, barring that, the film was contrived and clearly in the "B" movie category.

The Protagonist/Director, Did a pretty good job but that's where it ends. Clearly he is the only talent in this mess. The antagonist is about as menacing as a bad pimple. In that neighborhood, (or any in NY for that matter) if a guy like him acted the way he did in real life, he would have had his head handed to him 10 minutes into the film. (Based on his "bad guy" portrayal) The story is a familiar enough one that rings true as I've had friends in similar situations (illegal and trying to gain citizenship) via any means possible. But, to believe a guy steps into a cab and brings the driver (who he has never met) into his world of drug dealing, murder, prostitution etc., is ridiculous. The fact the film tries (and fails miserably) to get the viewer to believe that those scenarios really happen clearly tells you the director has never dealt with the streets before.

Perhaps, for some Park Ave. spoiled kids this might be believable, but, for anyone who grew up in any major metropolitan city to believe this is a far cry from truth. As the saying goes, "where there is smoke there is fire"....regarding this film, someone should have doused these flames by the second act!

If you can view this film for free, then give it a shot, otherwise, don't spend a dime. It's a fairy tale, not a crime thriller.

Lucky is a relatable character in modern day urban NYC. The opening was strong and even though Lucky is a criminal, you feel for him. The story starts to slow down about 15 minutes into it and then we meet Fernando and the pacing picks up and Lucky is now on a new path, one which I enjoyed watching unfold. There are enough twists that keep you engaged even though you might have guessed how things are going to turn out. However, the filmmaker surprised me with the ending. If you are used to happy ending mind numbing action then this may not be for you. For a slice of life gritty story give Lucky a shot.