Iglesia's slick and frisky direction stirs up some hearty stock-character performances, stoking and stretching out the tension, but it all still feels like black comedy by the numbers.
As Luck Would Have It(La chispa de la vida)
Spain, France, United States · 2011
1h 38m
Director Álex de la Iglesia
Starring Salma Hayek, Santiago Segura, Carolina Bang, Blanca Portillo
Genre Comedy, Drama
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A depressed and unemployed ad executive, Roberto, becomes the subject of a media frenzy when he suffers from an accident leaving him paralyzed at the site of an archaeological dig. Impaled on a metal spike and unable to move, Roberto attempts to milk the situation for fame and fortunate, a potentially costly move.
What are people saying?
What are critics saying?
The New York Times by Jeannette Catsoulis
A toothless examination of marketing and morality, Álex de la Iglesia’s As Luck Would Have It combines lecture, farce and soapy sentiment in a single misshapen package.
Though it slickly offers up drama, black comedy and enjoyable performances in due measure, the picture never develops much bite, though it does bare its fangs.
Slant Magazine by Nick Schager
Álex de la Iglesia's film hammers home the opinion that family is more important than celebrity or wealth.
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