Originally Posted On A Private Blog On October 11, 2017:
Harry Dean Stanton’s poetic send off Lucky is just one of the most tranquil and meditative films of the year. Similar to Jim Jarmusch’s Paterson in concept, and A Man Called Ove in execution, Lucky is a delightful little film with a whole lot to offer. Each frame of the film is perfectly crafted with little touches of surrealist imagery and humor that perfectly set’s up and foreshadow’s several elements which will occur later on in the film. Same goes towards the production design, in which each element makes the film feel more tranquil and relaxed with every meticulous detail. Not to mention the performances. Harry Dean Stanton deserves a Posthumously Academy Award for this film. Each line and action from Harry, felt detailed and perfected to a tee. Even mother fucking David Lynch also had a hilarious short role in the film, in which he portrays an introverted turtle/tortoise fanatic. To quote Lynch’s character in the film…
There are some things in this universe, ladies and gentlemen, that are bigger than all of us, And a tortoise is one of them!”
As with most independent productions, the film is unfortunately flawed in many specific regards. There were several scenes which lacked a purpose/meaning, with said scenes which I’m referring too, taking place in the Diner location of the film, where long set pieces essentially go nowhere and drag the pace of the film. Because of this fatal flaw, most of the scenes overstayed it’s welcome.
Lucky is a terrific send off to a great actor. It’s charming, sweet, film that will be regarded by many as a good time. After watching the film, it made me appreciate the elders around my community a bit more, and gave me a larger sense of unity in my local community. There’s a lot of great messages and themes throughout this film which I highly commend. Just be warned that the pacing may be a bit slow for some viewers.
Lucky is now available on VOD
On The Clock 