Lucky Break (2001)

Really Surprised!

a film so unique, intoxicating and bizarre that it not only demands another viewing, but is also forgivable as a satirical comedy where the jokes eventually take the back seat.

A lot of perfectly good film show their cards early, establish a unique premise and let the audience explore a topic at a leisurely pace, without much in terms of surprise. this film is not one of those films.

One of the most extraordinary films you will see this year. Take that as you want.

Even though Toots and his Maytals do their best, this film is off to a weak start. The first fifteen minutes have crappy dialogue, bad jokes, the bad guy is a cliché and you realize you can already guess the ending. Hang in there though, cause this film improves while it's going. James Nesbitt plays Jimmy Hands, an amateurish bank robber. He and his mate (Lennie James) get caught and end up in jail. Obviously, there's going to be an escape attempt, as ALL prison-movies have escape attempts. The jail seems a rather cosy place, with tomato gardening and a director fond of musicals. Jimmy Hands realizes this might be his chance and convinces the director to put on a musical play about the great hero Nelson. Without female inmates the beautiful Olivia Williams (who works in jail as a rehabilitation counselor) has to play the part of the heroin. Here's where the fun starts: rehearsals, fights, and sweet off key singing, while romance is in the air. Lucky Break is a charming little comedy, with a good cast, including the inmates Bill Nighy and Timothy Spall. 7/10 would be a bit too much for this, but it's well worth the time.

Caught this one on TV a while back and I'm glad I didn't bother to see it in theatrical release.Though the film has an excellent cast and is as well-made as a basic comedy can be, there is one simple matter that the screenwriter Ronan Bennett seems to have overlooked - there is NO comedy, OK maybe there are one or two laughs here, but that's all.Apparently based on a book by the superb Stephen Fry, one wonders why the producers didn't approach Mr. Fry to write the screenplay, after all his track record speaks for itself - the man knows how to make people laugh! The film sold itself as being 'From the Director of The Full Monty' well, I don't know what happened here, but Peter Cattaneo didn't bring any of the skills he seemed to display in TFM.Don't bother with this one at all, a total waste of time.

Lucky break is stupid. In fact, so stupid it's reasonably laughable. But it's also entertaining. Very entertaining. Filled with great comic sketches, as well as heart-touching moments, this film is definitely worth £3.50 and a bag of extra-large popcorn.Starting off, two men are arrested, and put into jail, which they find very uncomfortable. They want out. So they hatch a ludicrous scheme that just couldn't work...or could it? Some good acting (espcially by Timothy Spall) leads this film well on it's way to the thumbs up. Funny, touching and hugely, hugely enjoyable, Lucky break should be just the antidote to a long, stressful day.Overall: **** out of ***** (4 out of 5)

I've not had the opportunity to spend any time in a British prison, but I doubt that the prison life is as nice in reality as it is portrayed here. But I think that's part of the comedy, part of the suspension of disbelief, for a bunch of happy-go-lucky prisoners who encourage the prison warden (called 'governor') to perform the stage musical "Nelson" that he has written, while at the same time plotting an escape. It stars James Nesbitt, an Irishman who is remarkably similar to George Clooney with a thick accent, as Jimmy Hands, inept bank robber. A very entertaining 103 minutes, I enjoyed this movie more than such British comedies as 'The Full Monty' and 'Brassed Off.' some SPOILERS follow, please read no further. Jimmy and his partner, playing cops and robbers since kids, attempt a bank heist that will set them up for life, bungle it badly, and are sent to prison. Jimmy is nice but headstrong, spends most of his time in 14-day solitary stints, but finds (1) that the old chapel happens to be the ideal place to stage a break and (2) the warden would like to perform his musical in the old chapel because acoustics are ideal. So Jimmy encourages the warden, feeds his ego, while they devise a plan to use a rope ladder prop to go over the wall during the play. When a new prisoner, a violent man, shows up, and tells Jimmy he will be included, smart Jimmy devises a misdirection which ends up with the violent criminal being caught, while his three friends escape, with the help of the pilot wife of one of them. They simply dressed as theater-goers and walked out in the dark with the rest of the audience. At the last minute Jimmy stayed behind, to serve out his two years, and be with the pretty prison anger-management psychologist who was his leading lady in the musical. He eventually got out, she was there for him. As credits roll we see the former chief prison guard patrolling a parking garage for a living, two of the escapees and the pilot wife partying in Rio, and the final escapee selling "maps to the stars" in Hollywood. This film is primarily a comedy, but there are commentaries on love and devotion, plus a tragic suicide after the gentle inmate finds out his wife may be running out on him.A decent DVD with a good soundtrack, no extras worth mentioning.