kindlyones

coincidence fascinates all of us. we even have a word for the coincidences that seem meaningful to us: synchronized. whether or not we necessarily believe in a greater power or flow of the universe, it is fun to try to back track from the coincidence and see the actions that bring us to that brink of oddness and wonder.

"Strange Luck" was someone's idea of watching the pathway from the random to the seemingly ordered and predestined moments in peoples lives. Chance Harper(DB Sweeney) had the odd fortune to be riding the wave. DBS is a brilliant actor, understated and a lot of fun to watch even if the material ain't so great(ie, the cutting edge). His development of the character as a guy on the outside watching the oddities around him take place, trying to decide whether he believes in what is happening to him, is outstanding. The writing is great, every character nicely rounded as the show progressed. It is a shame that it was dropped after only one season.

The Best thing about this show was its absolute refusal to make judgments about what was happening to Chance. he appears to be a conduit, but there is nothing great about that, because for every good thing he connects with, something comes along that shatters all perspective. Balance between "good" and "bad" coincidence is maintained. The basis of the series then becomes, 1) his attempts to free himself from this "destiny"(if that is what it is), and 2)the question of affect he may or may not be having on those around him, and 3) would all of this be happening anyway if he weren't around to witness it.

though i doubt the existence of meaningful coincidence, i have, myself, wondered if things would be happening the same way if i weren't around to see them. humans bend the fabric of reality in all sorts of small ways, just by interacting with it, and this show explored the possibility of that. I was disappointed to see it go.

Fox made a mistake, but it wasn't the first mistake made by a television company, and it won't be the last. i would definitely buy the dvds if they were ever released, especially episodes that may not have been aired, even though they were completed.

What does it mean to be a human being? Likewise, what constitutes a lifetime? Or the meaning of life? Few if any movies or literature in general(yes, movies are a form of lit.), ask these questions in such a stunning or potent way. And unlike most movies dealing with these questions, it provides no simple answers. The viewer is left to find his or her own answers to those questions. We see these characters loose in a world that has effectively swallowed the human animal, and made it a function of the whole, rather than allowing any sort of individuality. Each is trying desparately to define him or herself against a back drop of time and its inexorable flow, against the pressures of a society rotting from the inside out. Humans here do everything they can to rise out of the mist, grease and dirt, and yet our characters dig into it, trying to figure out who and what they are, and if, in the long run, it really matters at all.

The movie is visually stunning, both at a human level, and a backdrop level. Hypnotic and scary, yet strangely familiar. Everyone turns in a top notch performance, although Harrison Ford has said he felt that he did not do much more than provide a center focus for the set pieces. I have to disagree. He was the archtypal human working towards individuation. He was the reflection of his world for us. He provided an fully realized entry point for the viewer into this cacophany so we could understand the questions being asked. He was everyman. And that is one of the hardest roles to get right.

This movie is a must see for everyone who has ever sat back and wondered what the meaning of it all might be. It offers no easy answers, but certainly asks the age old questions in a fantastic way.

quotes:

"Painful to live in fear, isn't it? Like having an itch you can never scratch. Wake up, time to die!"

"It's too bad she won't live. But then, who does?"