Lucky Bastard
Encyclopedia
Lucky Bastard is a 2009
drama film written and directed by Everett Lewis
. The film premiered as an Official Selection of the 27th annual Outfest
LGBT film festival.
and crystal meth
addict who takes Rusty to dark places Rusty never knew existed. Rusty must choose between returning to his old life and joining Denny in his.
.
calls Lucky Bastard a "bold and compelling drama" in which Lewis "takes a mature and more intimate direction". PGN cites Denny's monologue in particular, calling it "an emotional, dramatic moment that will likely rivet most viewers".
Lewis anticipated this divided response. "I think that people in the gay community are going to see the film is right on the button, or not at all close. They will accept it strongly or dismiss it because they have their own experience of many of these issues."
2009 in film
The year 2009 saw the release of many films. Seven made the top 50 list of highest-grossing films, and the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences announced that as of this year, their Best Picture category would consist of ten nominees, rather than five .- Highest-grossing films :Please note...
drama film written and directed by Everett Lewis
Everett Lewis
Everett Lewis is an American director, screenwriter and producer. He earned his Bachelor of Arts from North Carolina State University and a Master of Fine Arts from the University of Southern California...
. The film premiered as an Official Selection of the 27th annual Outfest
Outfest
Outfest is an LGBT-oriented film showcase and festival in Los Angeles, California. Founded in 1982 as the "Gay and Lesbian Media Festival and Conference", the name was changed to Outfest in 1994.-Programs:...
LGBT film festival.
Plot
Rusty is a young designer with a successful business and a great boyfriend. After losing one important client and facing a lawsuit from another, Rusty gets picked up by Denny, a sexy hustlerMale prostitution
Male prostitution is the practice of engaging in sexual acts for money. Compared to female sex workers, male sex workers have been far less studied by researchers, and while studies suggest that there are differences between the ways these two groups look at their work, more research is needed.Male...
and crystal meth
Methamphetamine
Methamphetamine is a psychostimulant of the phenethylamine and amphetamine class of psychoactive drugs...
addict who takes Rusty to dark places Rusty never knew existed. Rusty must choose between returning to his old life and joining Denny in his.
Principal cast
- Patrick TattenPatrick TattenPatrick James Bolger Tatten is an American actor and producer. He has played in films such as: Dirty Deeds, The Good German, The Soloist and Lucky Bastard.-Early life:Tatten was born in Sterling, Massachusetts...
as Rusty - Dale Dymkoski as Denny
- Johnny Kostrey as Daniel
- Timothy Cole as Garrett
Production
Writer/director Lewis drew upon his own relationship experiences with a meth addict in creating the film: "A lot of things in the film are conversations and events I had, and a lot of direct quotes [became] lines....Denny's monologue was taken from a guy I met who was in AA and recovering, and lived in a single room." Filming took place over a month in a number of Los Angeles locations and editing took another six months. Lucky Bastard features a soundtrack by William V. Malpede, who had also scored Lewis's previous film, FAQsFAQs (film)
FAQs is a 2005 LGBT-themed independent film. It was written and directed by Everett Lewis. The film tells the story of a group of young queer kids who have been discarded by straight society...
.
Critical response
Critical reaction to Lucky Bastard has been sharply divided. L.A. Splash magazine called the film "the first disappointment" of the Outfest festival, citing Rusty's lack of visible emotional development and "two dimensional personae (sic)". The reviewer praises Dale Dymkoski's performance as Denny, noting the "desperate duplicity" he brings to the role. The film, she concludes, focuses on the wrong protagonist. The LGBT news and entertainment portal Edge concurs in this assessment. Noting that the film's premise would make for an interesting character study by examining why Rusty is so willing to jeopardize his relationship with his boyfriend, the reviewer concludes, "There is nothing going on here. No plot. No sense of time or place. No character development or plot momentum of any kind. We just watch a decent guy fall for a loser and wonder why?" Dismissing the camerawork as "strictly film-school" with little variance in shot or angle and although appreciative of the attractiveness of the two leads, the reviewer chides Lewis to remember that "Hunky boys do not a good film make." Conversely, the Philadelphia Gay NewsPhiladelphia Gay News
Philadelphia Gay News is a lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender newspaper in the Philadelphia area. The publication was founded in 1976 by Mark Segal, who was inspired by activist Frank Kameny when they met in 1970...
calls Lucky Bastard a "bold and compelling drama" in which Lewis "takes a mature and more intimate direction". PGN cites Denny's monologue in particular, calling it "an emotional, dramatic moment that will likely rivet most viewers".
Lewis anticipated this divided response. "I think that people in the gay community are going to see the film is right on the button, or not at all close. They will accept it strongly or dismiss it because they have their own experience of many of these issues."
External links
- Official site
- Lucky Bastard at the Internet Movie DatabaseInternet Movie DatabaseInternet Movie Database is an online database of information related to movies, television shows, actors, production crew personnel, video games and fictional characters featured in visual entertainment media. It is one of the most popular online entertainment destinations, with over 100 million...