Lucky

Director: Gil Cates Jr.

Cast: Colin Hanks, Ari Graynor, Ann-Margret, Jeffrey Tambor

Genre: Comedy 2011

Running time: 103 mins.

Rating:★

After Ben (Colin Hanks) I wins the lottery, Lucy(Ari Graynor)- his childhood crush- suddenly becomes obtainable. But she has hidden agenda...a desire to appropriate all of Ben's newfound wealth. Not everything is as it seems and Lucy realizes that she may have married more than she bargained for when she discovers Ben's pastimes include the occasional murder. As the bodies start to pile up, so do her problems and Lucy quickly appreciates that covering up for a fledgling serial killer is not as easy as it seems. If these newlyweds are going to make it work they will have to deal with some skeletons in their closet...literally. 

Geez-lousie, do these characters have some psychological issues that seem to stem from childhood. There are some people that we have all observed, from one point or another, who seemed to be stuck in their high school persona or shell. Their mannerisms, fashion sense, and hairstyle. Either life wasn't as good as it was in high school or it was so torturous that they can't move past it and grow into a better sense of self. Ben, Lucy, and their boss, Steve embody these traits, one way or another, as they are introduced on screen. A self-consciencous and timid individual with feeling that he could one day snap (almost in a similar manner as Terrance Stamp in The Collector or Anthony Perkins in Psycho), Ben has boring job as an accountant in a firm that withholds his childhood crush and also the receptionist in the firm, Lucy. A naive brat, who probably still plays with her dollies as an escape from her own lousy, dead-end life. A parakeet, who she was promised by the pet shop owner would speak words (even though it has been a year), is her newest "doll." Her fling with her boss, Steve, was most likely another way that she hoped would help escape her caged life into a better one. When he ends it, Lucy childishly pouts and daydreams what she would do to him as revenge. Steve was perhaps a jock or one of the popular people in high school, now has a successful job, probably a house, and wife too. But something is missing in his life and might have been the reason he had the affair with Lucy. However, it is clear that he is too much of a pussy and is worried what his co-workers, bosses, and perhaps his wife too would do if they found out he was fooling around with "trash." 

Then Ben wins the lottery with the only person who is overjoyed about this is his mother. Steve and Lucy want something from him masked with a "best friend" screen, but it's all very phony. And another little secret is revealed, a possible skeleton in his closet. Serial killer? A comedic Hitchcock rip-off? Oh yeah. Ben's a brunette and Lucy is a blonde. However, with everyone getting more around Ben with his "lottery win," you really hope he wacks them all off. I'll help!