As Luck Would Have It

Everyone Loves A Spectacle: Cynicism, Black Comedy, And Even Melodrama Combine In This Spanish Import
Through the mainstream media, I had heard a number of negative critiques about the Spanish film "As Luck Would Have It." I wavered back and forth before finally deciding to watch the film for this reason. I sat down, therefore, with relatively low expectations and was absolutely and pleasantly surprised. Director Álex de la Iglesia has made some fascinating and over-the-top spectacles in the past. His wicked sense of humor and merciless darkness make a unusually delightful combination. Having worked most of my life in retail, I'm still in love with his black comedy "El Crimen Perfecto" from 2004. Fresh from the garish, unpredictable, and pretty spectacular "The Last Circus," "As Luck Would Have It" is a decidedly calmer affair. It's not exactly a film that I would have expected from the director, but maybe that's why it appealed to me so much. Part satire, part domestic drama, the movie plays like a riff on Billy Wilder's classic "Ace in the Hole." Gallows humor and abject...

Everyone Loves A Spectacle: Cynicism, Black Comedy, And Even Melodrama Combine In This Spanish Import
Through the mainstream media, I had heard a number of negative critiques about the Spanish film "As Luck Would Have It." I wavered back and forth before finally deciding to watch the film for this reason. I sat down, therefore, with relatively low expectations and was absolutely and pleasantly surprised. Director Álex de la Iglesia has made some fascinating and over-the-top spectacles in the past. His wicked sense of humor and merciless darkness make a unusually delightful combination. Having worked most of my life in retail, I'm still in love with his black comedy "El Crimen Perfecto" from 2004. Fresh from the garish, unpredictable, and pretty spectacular "The Last Circus," "As Luck Would Have It" is a decidedly calmer affair. It's not exactly a film that I would have expected from the director, but maybe that's why it appealed to me so much. Part satire, part domestic drama, the movie plays like a riff on Billy Wilder's classic "Ace in the Hole." Gallows humor and abject...



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