GET LUCKY
UK, 2013, 86 minutes, Colour.
Luke Treadaway, Emily Attack, Craig Fairbrass, T.J.Ramini, James Cosmo.
Directed by Sasha Bennett.
Get Lucky is one of the many, many British gangster films produced at the end of the 20th century and into the 21st century. It is not one of the better ones. However, it passes the time with its portrait of London criminals and their activities – and some comeuppance.
The film was written and produced by its star, T.J.Ramini, who portrays Raphael. The star of the film is Luke Treadaway, who with his twin brother, Harry, has appeared in a number of specialist British films.
The regular ingredients are present, the young man returning to London after hiding, reuniting with his brother and his friends, falling foul of an Eastern European gang presided over by James Cosmo, with his sadistic nephew and his partner. There is a casino robbery, with complex motivations and revenge. And there is an attractive blonde who teams up with Treadaway, is married to the sadistic nephew, and turns out to be, in her terms “a bad girl”.
Routine and nothing special.
1. The popularity of British gangster films? The influence of Guy Ritchie and Lock, Stock and Two Smoking Barrels?
2. The London settings, clubs and casinos, warehouses, flats and houses? Realistic? Musical score?
3. The title? With reference to Lucky? With references to all the activities and luck on the side of the two brothers? Ironic?
4. The focus on Lucky, his return, the initial abduction, turning out to be a joke, reunited with Raphael and his friends? His reason for being away? The burning of the money? Tangled with the criminals, Sebastian and Kramer and their killing his friend, attacking him? The meeting with Bridget, falling in love, the affair? His discovery that she was married to the nephew? His agreement to help with the casino heist? Driving the car, the pickup? Success? Dividing the money, the bonds? The complexities with the bonds, hiding them, the criminals discovering them? The build-up to the shootout, Raphael, Sebastien and Kramer, the nephew, Bridget killing him? And her taking all the money and bonds? Lucky by name, not by good fortune?
5. Raphael, like his brother, his colleagues, the death of the parents, the need for revenge, the planning of the casino robbery, old-style, Tommy guns, the execution of the robbery, the shootings, the boat in the pursuit, Lucky picking them up, dividing the money, the attack, Raphael being shot, surviving?
6. The boss, Eastern Europe, his personality, domination, Sebastian and Kramer, his nephew and Eli, with the women? Wanting his money back after its being robbed from the safe? The robbing of his casino, losing face? The betrayal by the Marilyn Monroe lookalike?
7. The boss’s nephew, personality, with Bridget, with Eli, anger, brutality, agreeing to participate in the robbery, not knowing that it was his uncle’s casino, the brutality towards Bridget, pursuing Luke and Raphael, the shootout and Bridget killing him? Eli, partner, the girl like Marilyn Monroe, the betrayal, the boss and his executing him?
8. Sebastian and Kramer, thugs, torture, Kramer and his anger, anger management, count to ten? Their pursuit of the robbers on the river? Shootouts and
death?
9. Bridget, at the bar, the attractive blonde, leading Lucky on, the affair, her husband, helping at the end, shooting her husband, taking the money and
going?
10. Popular ingredients for this kind of low-budget British gangster film?
