User reviews

Better than I thought it would be. But then, I've never seen anything that features Toni Collette that I didn't enjoy. There's a very, very small handful of screen actors that can breathe real life into any character and she is among them.

Set in Seattle and actually filmed in Seattle rather than Vancouver, B.C. (how refreshing is that?), it's the story of a rock journalist who sleeps with every musician she covers, while still pining for the one she met and fell in love with in high school who mysteriously disappeared (or killed himself?) at the height of his success 10 years earlier, leaving her bereft and crushed.

When she screws up again on her latest piece, her editor assigns her a "this is your last chance or I'm going to have to let you go" story, which is to be about tracking down what happened to the mysterious, missing legendary rocker, her former lover.

As she reluctantly begins the quest she bumps into a man she very briefly "dated" previously (Haden Church), a tech bazillionaire who now aspires to be a documentary film maker. Through a mishap they become unlikely partners in her search, with him filming the progress.

The story is about their journey into the past and her finally letting go of the relationship that's still messing up her life 10 years on.

This movie is an easy movie to watch with a good heart. The writing is rather basic but the core plot is intriguing enough to keep watching. This film offers nice emotion without demanding deep concentration from its audience. It utilizes nice cinematography, but it's darkly lit reflecting the pacific north west and the main characters emotions so if you're sensitive to low light films, this will bug the crap out of you; there is zero sun and a lot of dark bar scenes. As for acting Tony Collette is a joy to watch as she makes the story seem real, and Thomas Haden Church takes some getting used to at first but then you'll see he's exactly what the film needs with his quirky yet sincere humor. A good balance of characters and a cool plot makes this movie a decent experience, one where if you invest yourself enough you may find a tear or two at its resolution.7/10

The DVD was finally released so I had a chance to see the movie. I wanted to see it primarily because of the superb cast and I wasn't disappointed by a single one of them. But I do wonder how they got the 8 figure salary Johnny Depp to play a bit role. The story didn't move me partly because the characters weren't fleshed out. One sentence or two was all the viewer was given in the way of background. Tom Hayden's character for instance is wealthy but is he really the buffoon who would marry a hooker who is secretly married and blatantly seeking to make Hayden's character become more materialistic? Johnny Depp's character is described as a "shit." Why? We're never told. It's really a tribute to the cast that this movie exists and damn near works.

I watched this on the basis of the good reviews here and elsewhere. Unfortunately I never got into it. None of the characters were particularly likable, apart from perhaps Thomas Haden Church's character. Toni Collette's character seems to have no hesitation in sleeping with most men she either interviews or meets. It just didn't seem real - or does this sort of thing really go on? When things get tough for her she ends up smiling inanely, as if she now doesn't care.

I'm a big fan of slow-moving films, as long as the story is good and the acting is strong. I struggled with this one, as both of these factors were missing for me. I didn't care about any particular character and I just didn't care if she found the missing musician or not. Don't get me wrong: the acting wasn't bad, especially when she finally meets the missing musician, but despite the surprise factor (I won't spoil it) it all falls a bit flat for me.

Lucky me because I found this great little gem entitled, Lucky Them. Toni Collette, plays a darker, humorous role of rocker mag. writer, Elle. She's not losing her edge as much as losing her eagerness to do anything meaningful, anymore. Along comes a story, that is, in part, her story. And, she must choose to visit a painful past relationship. For the trip she brings along a straight up, funny, straight man, Charlie, played by Thomas Haden Church. He is also searching for something gone missing in his life. Add to that a cast of minor characters that steal the show in nearly every scene. But, Toni holds the key to this movie and she never, ever disappoints.

Review: I wasted so much time watching this film because I kept on falling asleep and I found the storyline quite silly. Its about a music critic whose hunting for an artist whose been missing for ages. The artist is also her ex boyfriend so the journey is also about closure because everyone things that he died in a car accident. A video of the artist performing on stage was put on the social media, so a rumour starts going around that the man is still alive. She then shows the video to her boss who wants a big story for his magazine so he funds her journey to find this well known artist. There are other aspects to the story, like when she falls in love with a busker and her new found rich friend who helps fund the journey after she loses her funds, but it really doesn't help this dull movie which really wasn't that funny. I honestly found the main character, whose played by Toni Collette, quite annoying and I really didn't have that much sympathy for her. She just seemed to float around, sleeping with men whilst barking orders at her new found friend, whose played by Thomas Haden Church and was the best thing in the film. I also couldn't get the whole point of the film because there really isn't an outcome. It just seems to end abruptly without much explanation or moral to the storyline. Anyway, the performances wasn't bad but the storyline was weak and a drag to watch. Disappointing!

Round-Up: I'm usually a fan of Toni Collette's work but this has to go down as a bad day at the office. She has progressed so much since the popular Muriel's Wedding and she has put it great performances in movies like the Sixth Sense and Little Miss Sunshine but she hasn't really been on the big screen that much lately. In this movie I didn't really like her character that much but that's due to the script, which was pretty poor. There are some other goods performances from Oliver Platt and Thomas Haden Church but they really got wasted in this attempt of a roadie comedy. 

I recommend this movie to people who are into their comedy/dramas about a music critic who hunts for a famous missing musician, whose also her ex boyfriend, for a story to print in a magazine. 3/10

Even Toni Collette could not save this terrible film. Hell, the guy from wings even let me down (he killed it in sideways).

This film plays like a really bad pilot for a show that ends up lasting over an hour. Of course as boring as it is, it felt like much longer. The characters are dull and the plot is nonexistent. This film serves as nothing more than a glorification of the hipster lifestyle that is all too prevalent in the Pacific Northwest.

Characters like the protagonist really do exist up here, so I'll give the one compliment this hack deserves and admit this movie does portray certain aspects of what it's like to live in this region. The protagonist is the all to common Portland/Seattle hipster hag. She cannot accept she is an old woman, so she tries to turn back the clock (in vain) by acting like she's 21 all over again, only she's in her forties. If you think I'm kidding, come live in Portland for a while and see for yourself the deluded parade of old hags who wear pigtails, wear hello kitty backpacks and strut around with their twenty something year old boyfriends, who (obviously) are so desperate they are just happy to be in the presence of a chick who's not twice their body weight and has a pulse, but I digress.

The point is, this movie sucks, has no plot and no characters you care about. This is just one of those stupid "look at how hip I am" movies.

Lucky Them stars Toni Collette as veteran music journalist Ellie Klug for a failing Seattle rock magazine whose future might be going online only and she might have no future at all with the publication as she is more interested in partying and flirting with musicians then getting good stories.

Klug goes around the famous alternative rock city looking for new talent such as rising street musician Lucas Stone (Ryan Eggold) who she ends up having a casual relationship with. Her editor forces her to write a story that might save a career with the magazine. Search for missing rock star Matthew Smith who has been missing for a decade after a car wreck. Smith was also her first love when she was young.

Klug hits the road with her wealthy friend Charlie (Thomas Haden Church) who plans to make a documentary film on the search for Matthew Smith.

As a low key road movie, the film is elevated by Haden Church who plays characters like Charlie with effortless ease. The story is slight, Klug is not really that likable, she appears shallow, easily falling for a young charmer.

Still this independent movie filmed in and around Seattle (without showing its famous landmarks) managed to rope in a megastar for a belated cameo appearance.

Came across this on one of the premium channels on cable. Liked the looks of the cast, and it was just starting (as opposed to most movies I come across on the premium channels, which are usually in progress when I find them), so decided to watch. It was excellent. Toni Collette does great as usual, and Hayden-Church, playing somewhat of a variation of his 'Sideways' character, provides most of the comic relief and a great companion to Collette's more serious role. All of the characters had some likable qualities and were overall decent people, and I enjoyed the story as well.

I had no idea what to expect from this, but it did remind me of 'Sideways,' one of my all time favorites, in that it featured a couple of 'pals' (or acquaintances anyway) going on an adventure and encountering some interesting characters and situations along the way. Well worth an evening's viewing.

This isn't a BAD film, but it's not very good. Toni Collette (always watchable) gives it the old college try, but it's hard to muster up much love for her messed-up character. Ryan Eggold shines as one of the objects of her affection, and the delightful Nina Arianda adds another quirky, delicious character to her list of such. Sadly, the script is a hodge-podge of Rom-Com tropes with a tepid mystery at its core, and Thomas Haden Church seems to be in a completely different film - his portrayal is so broad and painful, it feels like he walked out of an old "Pink Panther" movie. He's torture to watch and pretty much sinks every scene he's in. But if you're a Collette, Arianda or Eggold fan...you could do worse, I suppose. Just be prepared for one of the most unsatisfying endings of the century.

This movie is for those people who love independent films that drench the viewer in character emotion and situational drama. You feel this is an indie film from the early beginning..why ? because it focuses on humanity and all of that which is the situational character (of the characters if you need more t understand that point).

..Hollywood simply doesn't do these lovely things because tweenies buy movie tickets.. henceHollywood does BOOMS and POWS and boobs..with little to no plot..it often makes me ill how terrible Hollywood has become..Hollywood forgot that this is an Artform to tell stories.

Megan Griffiths, I had never heard her name before, but I will certainly be looking out for her name in years to come and will be looking to view her older films. I am an indie film lover, because in 2015, you have to watch indie films to get characters and story and plot that wasn't drawn by Stan Lee. ..and that is what Megan has done very well in this, brought great actors in niche roles that highlight and buff this dramatic off-ended comedy into a pearl. If anyone says this is a bad film, they're clearly a knucklehead.

Toni's character pulls you in with her "struggling to survive and find her ground" selfishness that is her defensive line to her rough edged existence of unknowingly battling with her own demons, all while you see her soft spots rise to the surface for her to recognize and then behold in dramatic effort to eventually make her whole once again.

As I said before; each actor, niche like, made this come to life. - Like a good book on a rainy day. Megan Griffiths, Thank You. To the cast & crew as well; thank you all. ;)

Lucky Them was filmed in and around Seattle, and is lacking the obligatory shots of the Space Needle, Pike Place Market and ferries crossing the sound. Usually those scenes are meant to make a film look like it's in Seattle, but really being filmed in Vancouver and I find that annoying.

Toni Collette plays Ellie, a music critic for the print magazine Stax. Her job keeps her out late at night visiting Seattle's music clubs, drinking too much and often leaving with a cute young musician. At one time she was in a long term relationship with alt-rock star Matthew Smith, who went missing 10 years ago and is presumed to have ended his life by jumping at Snoqualmie Falls. Many of his fans believe he is still alive and keep a website listing sightings.

Oliver Platt plays Giles, the editor in chief at Stax. He has the brilliant idea of a 10 year anniversary of the disappearance of Matthew Smith as a big feature story in Stax and gives the assignment to Ellie, who is not so keen on digging up old personal history. Giles makes it clear that her job is on the line if she doesn't produce.

Ellie is out covering the music scene one night when she runs into an old acquaintance Charlie, played by Thomas Haden Church. Charlie is a dot.com millionaire, with plenty of money and time. Recently he has been taking documentary film making classes at a local community college. He agrees to help her in the search for Matthew Smith if he can make a documentary film of her in the process. And so the fun begins! Everyone should have their own Thomas Haden Church sidekick!

The story is intriguing enough without being overly complicated to keep me interested in the outcome.Is Matthew Smith still alive? Will they find him? All I will say is the ending is brilliant and perfect!

Now and again, with patience, a little gem comes across the video on demand that somehow didn't make it in the theaters. This film was made in 2013 and seems to be headed for a re- release. Don't wait. See it now on video on demand courtesy of Amazon. It is a treat. Caroline Sherman has the original idea for the story and it was adapted foe the screen by Huck Botko and Emily Wachtel. Megan Griffiths directs with élan.

Ellie Klug (the very fine Toni Collette) is a music critic for a failing rock magazine, SLAX' in Seattle headed by the pot-smoking Giles (Oliver Platt) in Seattle. She tends to write articles about not so talented music stars, such as street singer Lucas Stone (Ryan Eggold who is proving he can be more than a warped spy on TV's The Blacklist). They have casual sex but the rock around Ellie neck is an article she is forced to write about a famous rock star Matthew Smith who ha been missing since an apparent car wreck some years back, and who Ellie was in love with back in his heyday. She ultimately agrees to do a story (more like investigative journalism) mush at the insistence of her best friend, bar tender Dana (Nina Arianda). Lacking money to make a trip to Matthew Smith country, she borrows form Giles, is ripped off by Lucas, borrows from a very strange wealthy Charlie (Thomas Hayden Church) who wants to make a documentary on Ellie looking for Matthew Smith. How that all ends up is a study of the human psyches as attached to loves of the past and longings of the present but to tell more would be a spoiler. It should be added that Johnny Depp makes a very brief but central appearance….

The cast is exemplary, especially Toni Collette who at last has a role that allows her to show just what a fine comedienne as well as serious actress she is. Tune in to the video on demand offer Amazon presents – no telling when they'll release a DVD of this treasureable film. Highly recommended.

A certain person even harder (to find). I had no idea who the actor would be portraying him (though apparently he is on the cover of the disc), therefor was positively surprised to see him at one moment during the movie. You also get a very mature love story, even if you have a very clichéd character following a woman and trying to help her (for very obvious reasons).

I reckon some people might have issues with the female lead character and her freedom to choose how to love (when, where and how often too). But this is not about bashing her or belittling her, it's about a journey and you shouldn't even think about that. It's a very personal story and very well made on too, that happens to star a woman. Very well played, with quite a few "real" moments thrown in there. Romantic? Depending on your view. Sometimes comedic too, but more a drama

This is a very underrated movie.

The story is simple - an aging music critic (Toni C) is forced to write about a famous one-album wonder whom she dated just before he disappeared, twenty years ago. She is goes to bed with a lot of men and if she were a male we would probably just accept that as part of her lifestyle but of course many reviewers have labeled her promiscuous. Are men promiscuous?

Along the way, she meets and falls in love with a young singer on his way up and has an aging, wealthy hipster fall in love with her.

This is a story about love - what happens to us when we cannot get over a past love and what happens when we fall in love with the 'wrong' people.

It is an adult romance story - funny but never cynical.

You may recognize yourself along the way - certainly you will recognize the feelings and memories and longings.