Main cast: John Travolta (Russ Richards), Lisa Kudrow (Crystal Latroy), Ed O’Neill (Dick), Tim Roth (Gig), Michael Rapaport (Dale the Thug), Michael Moore (Walter), Bill Pullman (Lakewood), Daryl Mitchell (Chambers), Michael Weston (Larry), and Richard Schiff (Jerry Green)
Director: Nora Ephron

This movie, initially supposed to be released this summer, is shelved after John Travolta rolled some pantyhoses in his crotch and became the joke of the year. Now, wa-hey, it gets released. And trust me, Nora Ephron trying to be Quentin Tarantino isn’t a pretty sight.

This movie revolves around Russ, who is facing bankruptcy (his snowmobile investment is going belly-up), who teams up with Crystal, a lottery girl, to fix lottery results. But things go out of control and soon everyone from crooked cops to thugs to strip club owners want a slice of the pie too.

But is it fun? Well, Lisa Kudrow screeches as if someone has sprinkled itch powder in her underwear drawer. Irritating is the mildest word I can think up to describe her in this movie. There’s one funny/gross scene involving her in her scanties jumping up and down on an asthmatic family member until the poor guy croaks. I’m not joking.

Likewise, Mr Travolta ruins the movie with his lazy, self-indulgent non-acting. Please, someone tell him the meaning of the term getting into a role? His role as a smarmy, crooked weatherman celebrity is as convincing as a sardine playing monarch to England.

The bright spots are the supporting cast members. Tim Roth is yummy and deliciously wacky as the crooked strip joint owner, and Bill Pullman effortlessly hams it up as a crooked cop. Michael Weston and Michael Rapaport make the best out of their limited roles, but between Ms Kudrow’s screeching and Mr Travolta’s annoying non-acting, I’m hard-pressed to care.

The plot of Lucky Numbers is a hybrid of all the usual dark comedy stuff from Mr Tarantino and his imitators. Too bad the main cast just don’t have the zing to make this movie stand out.