there 's some movies i enjoy even though i know i probably should n't and have a difficult time trying to explain why i did .
" lucky numbers " is a perfect example of this because it 's such a blatant rip - off of " fargo " and
every movie based on an elmore leonard novel and yet
it somehow still works for me .
i know i 'm in the minority here but let me explain .
the film takes place in harrisburg , pa in 1988 during an unseasonably warm winter .
john travolta plays the local big - shot tv weatherman who is idolized by the townsfolk as if he were john travolta himself and not the bumbling russ richards .
russ is married to crystal ( lisa kudrow ) , a blonde bimbo if ever there was one in the history of cinema .
she 's a selfish , nasty bitch full of lust and desire
but somehow she got the job of the lottery ball girl -
not exactly the most intellectually taxing job on the market .
crystal 's cheating on russ with their collective boss dick ( ed o'neil ) , the tv station manager .
she does n't seem to genuinely like either of them , but it 's all she can do in this one - horse town .
much like " fargo , " this movie tells the story of a man who 's going broke and has to pull off a huge scam to get rich quick .
he enlists the help of his english friend gig ( tim roth ) , the local stripclub owner who tells him how to fix the lottery .
along the way a subplot involving a two - bit thug named , accurately , " dale the thug " ( michael rappaport ) gets mixed up in the process .
there 's also a bookie that somehow gets thrown in the mix once the deal goes down .
i 'm not going to elaborate much further on the plot and story because it continues to unwind and take twists and turns you 're not expecting .
this is a farce , which is basically a straightforward , adult - oriented comedy but does n't go as far as a classic black comedy should .
where as " fargo " was sometimes shocking and disturbing while being funny , " lucky numbers " is just funny because you ca n't take these characters in these outrageous situations seriously .
it 's all a big cartoon basically , but
it 's funny and i can respect that .
travolta is great in his role and even though he 's not a really likable character , he 's trying to be a nice guy despite the fact
he 's a creep .
he 's like a gangster with morals who genuinely feels sorry for the guys he has to kill .
crystal is just the opposite , she 's constantly arguing and using whatever brain cells she has left to look out for herself .
kudrow is perfect in this role since she 's spent 8 years on tv as the dim - witted phoebe on " friends .
"
here is character is basically a very evil incarnation of phoebe .
i have to admit
i was honestly surprised and pleased by how the plot unraveled
and the methods each of the main characters use to try to get their share of the money .
like " jackie brown , " ( an elmore leonard adaption ) , the story is about a circle of 10 characters all after the lottery money that has been won illegally .
the screenplay does a fine job in balancing the characters and slowly revealing their motivations and hidden agendas while at the same time keep russ richards the main focus .
more and more characters are introduced and since the film has such an iconic , cartoony atmosphere you can take on faith just what makes the minor characters do what they do .
the ending itself is great .
it 's surprising and funny and makes you feel good .
you realize this film has packed in about 10 different movies ' worth of stories into two hours ' time and did n't fall apart ( although many other critics might beg to differ ) .
i liked it , and i could see it again - is n't that what makes a movie good ?
perfect in this role i liked it , and i could see it again - is n't that what makes a movie good ? the ending itself is great . it 's surprising and funny and makes you feel good great in his role it 's funny and i can respect that i was honestly surprised and pleased by how the plot unraveled is just funny it somehow still works for me does a fine job in balancing the characters