‘Intacto’

What if, hypothetically speaking, luck was tangible? What if luck could be transferred and nullified by a certain touch, or by the presence of a certain person who had “the gift” of luck?

The premise of the Spanish film “Intacto” is driven by the idea that luck is something that can be harnessed and controlled by a select few who acknowledge its existence. Amongst these people is the luckiest man on earth, Samuel (Max Von Sydow). The movie begins with the introduction of Frederico (Eusebio Poncelo), Samuel’s right-hand man, who has decided to leave his master and teacher to test his abilities in the world, but he not only fails to escape, but is robbed of all his abilities by the simple touch of Samuel’s hands.

Years pass, and Frederico is now on a search for one lucky man to depose Samuel and claim the throne as the luckiest man alive. He finally meets a thief named Tomas (Leonardo Sbaraglia) — the lone survivor of a commercial plane crash — and takes him under his wing through a series of bizarre games of extreme luck. Through it all, four lives — Frederico, Tomas, Samuel and a cop named Sara (Monica Lopez) — are intertwined by their respective potentials to control luck and by the mere occurrence of chance.

“Intacto” is a conceptually remarkable but flawed movie. The idea of owning the power of luck and using it to one’s shameless benefit is the type of reckless abuse of talent that all pathetic grownups can only wish for but can never achieve. However, the imagination and potential of all the hypothetical situations is never fully realized.

“Intacto’s” main problem is its inability to establish an attitude and direction. As a thriller, the film makes an attempt at noir, but its fantastic story and layers-upon-layers of intricate details and flashbacks gnaw at the flow and the atmosphere of the movie. The plot valiantly tries to tie together four characters with the rules and regulations of “the gift,” but unintentionally leaves too much to figure out and interpret.

These loose ends cause a great deal of frustration in following and understanding the story’s implications about how each character is connected to the next. Supposedly, the end result is to provoke thought, but because of all the unclear and unexplained details, that particular aspect of “Intacto” is lost. And the lackluster relationships between the four lucky individuals are almost reminiscent of another ambitious relationship film, “Magnolia.”

As flawed as the film may be, it was certainly entertaining for the most part. The best chunk comes from the imaginative tests each competitor must go through before ultimately challenging Samuel for the throne of luckiest man on Earth. The film does offer many moments of intrigue, as director Juan Carlos Fresnadillos approaches each scene meticulously, building up patiently for drama and suspense.

Acting is not a weakness in foreign films that make it to American theaters. “Intacto” does not feature a bad performance, as cast members make the most out of the story and their characters.

“Intacto” really should not end up on too many top 10 lists this year, but perhaps it’ll creep its way onto a few, purely based on the fact that it’s foreign, artsy and kind of fun. While all three of those things may be true, the film seems too choppy and convoluted to be interpreted as completely serious, which destroys its chances of establishing itself as a respectable thriller.