Lucky You: out 22nd June
Love and poker seem to be on opposite ends of the human experience yet they have a few things in common: both require a little bit of skill and a lot of luck.
It sometimes takes a leap of faith to draw a winning hand or find the right person, but where poker requires trusting no one, love requires trust above all.
Set against the backdrop of high stakes poker in Vegas, Curtis Hanson's romantic drama "Lucky You" is about an ambitious poker player, Huck Cheever (Eric Bana), who finds the right girl at the wrong time: aspiring singer Billie Offer (Drew Barrymore).
Billie, the romantic, and Huck, the gambler on the rise, are as unlikely a pair as they are perfectly matched, but Huck isn't exactly relationship material. "He doesn't have any dependencies," says Eric Bana ("Munich"). "He's not married, doesn't have any kids. He can come and go as he likes. The world of poker really suits his personality and his lifestyle."
His singular focus on improving his game doesn't leave room for anything more than a string of one night stands, yet somehow Billie gets under his skin. Brimming with charm and vulnerability, Billie encourages Huck to lower his guard.
"I think with a lot of the other women he probably hasn't given them the chance to do that," says Bana. "He sees something in her that he doesn't see in other women. Huck is closed off and has to wear this mask all the time to fool everybody that has become so real to him.
"With her he smiles, and he laughs. He finds her amusing," says Drew Barrymore ("Music and Lyrics," "Charlie's Angels"). "I think that there's a beautiful dance between them back and forth. He's a classic heartbreaker. But I think she gets lucky with Huck."
Director Hanson, an Oscar winner for the screenplay of his film "L.A. Confidential," was inspired to make "Lucky You" through his love for the game of poker.
"I wanted to do a relationship story set in the world of poker because I've always been fascinated by the fact that the skills one must develop to be a good poker player are almost the exact opposite of the skills needed to be successful in a relationship," he explains.
"Deceit, or bluffing, which can destroy the trust needed for a successful personal relationship, is a big part of the game."
Cert PG
Watch the Lucky You trailer now. (QuickTime)
Lucky you hits UK cinemas on Friday 22nd June 2007.
