Entertainment Showcase

Review -- March 2002

LUCKY

A story about a man and his dog…and a little bit of murder

If you happen to be in the mood for a light hearted little movie the whole family can sit and watch while eating popcorn on a Saturday night…"Lucky" ain’t it. The collaboration of director Steve Cuden and writer Stephen Sustarsic, "Lucky" embraces the idea of morbid comedy lovingly to its heart.

"Lucky" tells the story of Millard Mudd, a cartoon writer suffering from a serious case of writer’s block. He is slowly losing everything he has ever worked to accomplish. He also appears to be losing his mind. One day, as he is nearing the end of his rope, he happens upon (okay…hits with his car) an adorable little dog whose name turns out to be Lucky. Millard takes the dog home and nurses the little guy back to health. As it turns out this is no ordinary dog. Lucky can talk.

"Lucky" is a disturbingly dark and twisted comedy about love, life and deeply psychotic behavior. In it we are given the opportunity to relate to all the humor that goes along with alcoholism, torturer and murder. At times it was unsettling to look at, but I couldn’t stop watching it. When I wasn’t mesmerized by some of the more serious aspects of the story and solid performances, I was laughing out loud at most of the deliciously wicked comedy. But it was an uncomfortable laughter. Hysterical as it was, I had to wonder if I should be laughing.

Michael Emanuel delivers a riveting performance as Mudd. Emanuel has been featured in numerous films, TV shows, and national commercials. He has a face you know you’ve seen before. Though seemingly understated and natural, his portrayal is an acting tour-de-force. Mudd rides both sides of every fence. He is equal parts sad and funny, innocent and frightening, lucid and insane. One moment you feel sorry for him, the next you laugh at his jokes, and in the next he is the bearer of nightmares.

For an independent movie filmed in just nine days on a shoestring budget, "Lucky" is an extremely professional looking production. The editing and pacing was just right with no slow or dead spots (so to speak). From the camera angles to the lighting, every shot was perfectly set up to reflect the mood of the piece. Just this year, Steve Cuden deservedly brought home the "Best Director" award from the NoDance Film Festival held in Park City, Utah.

Director Cuden is also a successful screenwriter credited on more than seventy teleplays, including series such as "X-Men," "Starship Troopers," "The Mask," and many others. He is also co-creator of the international hit musical "Jekyll & Hyde." Stephen Sustarsic is an Emmy Award winning writer who has written for such shows as "The Jeffersons," "One Day At A Time," "Alice," and "Newhart," to name a few. He’s also created several TV shows, including the long running Nickelodeon series "The Wild Thornberrys."

One of the two things I found to be the most fascinating about the film was in trying to determine what was real and what wasn’t. Who was real and who wasn’t? Did anybody really die or did everybody die? The creative team behind "Lucky" did a great job of blurring the lines between fantasy and reality. The other is the disconcerting feeling I mentioned about laughing at some of the darker bits of humor. In retrospect I may have hit upon why. We all deal with fantasies of one sort or the other throughout our lives. I think it’s possible that "Lucky" succeeds in forcing the viewer to subliminally deal with the guilt in witnessing what may be, in some small way, a reflection of his or her own hidden thoughts or desires. I mean really, who amongst you has never imagined killing someone?

Due to its strong adult content and a few extremely shocking and sadistic scenes, I cannot suggest "Lucky" to those who are faint-of-heart and only enjoy cuddly little Hollywood movies. But I can recommend it highly to those who have an open mind and can see beyond the more gruesome aspects of the film to appreciate the underlying themes that make watching it such a thought provoking experience.