Who would have thought that poker would become a visual entertainment phenomenon? Certainly not I, and yet I still find myself pausing to watch occasionally as I flip through the television channels. There is a certain element of tension and drama inherent in the game that draws one in. This is the background setting for Lucky You, the new romantic drama from director Curtis Hanson.

Huck Cheever is a young poker player making a name for himself in Las Vegas as he tries to pull together the stakes to earn a seat in the big poker championship. He labors in the shadow of his estranged father, two-time national poker champion L. C. Cheever. Huck has put his life outside of the casino on hold to focus on his game; he’s sold or hocked just about everything he owns except for his empty house and his motorcycle.

Huck’s concentration is disrupted when he meets Billie Offer, new in Las Vegas and trying to find work as a singer. With completely different perspectives on life, the two clash at first and seem an odd pairing. Slowly, Billie helps Huck better understand himself and evaluate his own priorities. This allows him to begin working on his relationship with his father. The drama comes to a head in the final rounds of the championship when Huck and L. C. find themselves playing against each other for the coveted poker title.

So is this the perfect date movie? The elements are certainly present, poker for the guys and a love story for the gals, right? That may have been the goal in Lucky You, but it doesn’t quite work. I enjoyed the poker story and the relationship between Eric Bana and Robert Duvall as Huck and L. C. Cheever, respectively. Both of these actors are always a joy to watch and fit their roles well.

Drew Barrymore as love interest Billie is a different story. Her role never quite clicks, and the entire romantic sub-plot causes the story to drag, the movie feeling far too long at just over two hours. The romance seems grafted on simply to appeal to a female audience—though plenty of women seem to enjoy poker for its own sake just fine!

Still, Lucky You is an interesting look at the culture of gambling in Las Vegas. Poker fans will probably appreciate the play at the tables, and the list of cameo appearances by poker celebrities is as long as my arm. The stakes at the tables are suitably dramatic. A few of the lighter moments are provided by Horatio Sanz in the role of Ready Eddie and Saverio Guerra as Lester, two gamblers willing to wager high stakes on just about anything, no matter how outlandish.

But in the final analysis, there is simply too much shoe-horned into this movie. It would be far more enjoyable if it were 20 or 30 minutes shorter. And face it—if you really want to watch poker, you can see it for free sitting at home in your favorite easy chair. There’s not much point in seeing it on the big screen when other aspects of Lucky You fail to pay off.

Lucky You is rated PG-13 for “some language and sexual humor.” An accurate assessment, in my opinion.

Courtesy of local publicist, Michael attended a promotional screening of Lucky You.