Jan Wahl Movie Review: 'The Lucky One'
You can hear KCBS Entertainment Editor Jan Wahl's movie reviews on KCBS All News 740AM and 106.9FM Fridays at 8:53am & 4:53pm.
(CBS SF) - With some really good, original movies coming out, it's hard to work up much enthusiasm for "The Lucky One," a film that is so cliché.
THE LUCKY ONE (PG-13)
When Zac Efron gets the right role - as he did in Hairspray - all is fine with this handsome young leading man, but when asked to act - and act out of a contrived romance - it doesn't work as well.
After serving in Iraq, an American soldier comes home to seek a woman whose picture was his good luck charm. Naturally she turns out to be beautiful, with a quirky family. He can't tell her his feelings, but the problem is that it all feels so forced and clichéd, it doesn't matter.
This is a way to make Efron into the teen heartthrob. Hopefully he'll remember Johnny Depp was early on, with a Jon Waters based movie too ("Crybaby") and went on to become one of our most interesting actors. Stretch out of this teen heart throb image and get some acting lessons, Zac. One hat.
KCBS' Jan Wahl Reports:
The 55th International San Francisco Film Festival (April 19 - May 3): With over seventy movies, tributes, panels and symposiums, this is the oldest film festival in the Americas. This year it opened with the French historical epic about the reader to Marie Antoinette, Farewell, My Queen, opening in the Bay Area on Bastille Day. Tributes to Judy Davis and Kenneth Branagh, showings of classics like The Third Man and Buster Keaton shorts, a new documentary on R. Buckminster Fuller and Diana Vreeland, many foreign and American features. Log on to www.festival.sffs.org for a complete list. It's worth it!
See Right Now: "Bully," "Salmon Fishing in the Yemen."
DVD/Home Viewing: "Shame, "A Dangerous Method," "The Iron Lady," "We Bought a Zoo," "Chasing Madoff," "My Week With Marilyn."
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