THE LUCKY ONES
RYAN: Let’s welcome back our favorite actress, Rachel McAdams, who co-stars as one of three U.S. soldiers in a very interesting new movie, “The Lucky Ones.”
CAROLINE: Sadly, I missed the movie she was in earlier this year, “Married Life,” and I just don’t know why she’s been away from the big screen for so long. I’ve missed her terribly. She’s one of my favorite people to watch onscreen, and she did not disappoint even for a second in this movie.
RYAN: Totally. She has some of the greatest lines, and she really transforms herself in this role. She looks great, but the way she walks and speaks is very different for her. If I’d read this script ahead of time, I don’t think I would have pictured her in this role.
CAROLINE: She plays an incredibly naïve Southerner and her lines are so brilliant. Even though it’s not a funny movie per se, I laughed out loud several times because of her earnestness. The other two stars are Tim Robbins and Michael Peña, who are both excellent as well.
RYAN: I feel like Michael Peña is always in army films. Tim Robbins is great but even though it’s not a long movie, I got a little bored part way through. It actually kind of reminded me of “The Wizard of Oz” in parts because it’s three people on a journey, each searching for something and on their own paths.
CAROLINE: For me it was like watching an exercise in expert acting. The movie has a small, indie feel and it feels like a lot happens but also not a lot happens. It’s more of an emotional journey that they’re on. They’re a little bit directionless since they’re on leave from the war and they don’t really know what to do with themselves due to various circumstances. I thought they all worked together so well, and I believed every single moment of the film. I never felt like I was watching Rachel McAdams play a soldier. She just became the role, as did the other two.
RYAN: They’re three very different characters who meet at a very dramatic moment in their lives and form a kind of family. The very first scene is pretty shocking; it wakes you right up. It’s a quiet film, and it has its moments that definitely merit praise, but I don’t think it’s the kind of movie you have to see in the theater. Bottom line?
CAROLINE: It’s definitely a small movie that you could rent sometime rather than seeing it on the big screen. A lot of people might be turned off by the war theme – God knows we saw enough of war movies last year, and they were all flops. This movie barely has any war scenes since it almost entirely takes place with them on leave and back in the States. It’s more of a study of what happens after one gets home from war. I was totally into it from start to finish. The scenarios that they find themselves in are so original. I applaud the screenwriter.
RYAN: The drama is very good, and I liked the message of the movie. The title is “The Lucky Ones” because they’re alive and they didn’t die in battle, but when they come home, it’s kind of like, “Are they really the lucky ones?” because what they come home to can be really difficult. It’s a well made film but by no means a must see.
CAROLINE: I think it’s a must see for fans of Rachel McAdams for sure.