The Lucky Ones
By Marshall Fine
Rating:
Who's in it: Tim Robbins, Rachel McAdams, Michael Pena
What's it about: Three Iraq soldiers, home on leave, wind up traveling cross-country together and forging a friendship.
Not about Iraq: Movies about the war have been box-office poison but this one should have a shot. It's about the bond that's formed between three soldiers who find that, despite differences of age, gender and ethnicity, they have too much in common to ignore. Though it touches on familiar subjects - sex, romance, marriage - it's really about three people who learn to help each other and to help themselves. It's a consistently surprising movie, one that never quite goes where you expect it to. And it's built on a foundation of strong performances from Oscar-winner Robbins, McAdams ("Red Eye") and Pena ("World Trade Center") in a script that always finds an unexpected twist to keep you guessing - and thinking.
Long story short: It entertains and raises questions at the same time.
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