Lucky

The 2017 American drama film, Lucky, directed by John Carroll Lynch is an artistic exploration of life, aging, and mortality. The film won an audience’s hearts with it being the final performance from the late, great actor Harry Dean Stanton. His performance remains the centerpiece of this film, which is a loving tribute to him, showcasing his unique acting prowess. The film is as much about the actor himself as it is about the character he portrays.

The film is set in the arid desert town of Piru, California. Stanton plays Lucky, a nonagenarian living the final chapter of his life in a quiet, rustic isolation. With his cacti and crossword puzzles, an austere routine of waking up, drinking milk, doing yoga, visiting the local diner and the local bar; Lucky has a mundane yet satisfying life. This solitary and methodical lifestyle encapsulates the narrative of the film, focusing on Lucky’s matters of existence, life cycle, and spiritual ambiguity, which Stanton handles with deft subtlety.

Stanton is joined by a host of supporting actors who add richness to the film’s aesthetic charm, embracing a kind of spiritual minimalism that deepens the movie’s narrative. Among them is David Lynch, the famed filmmaker, who gives a memorable performance as Howard, a friend of Lucky, yearning for his runaway pet tortoise President Roosevelt. Howard's tortoise metaphor is the closest thing to a plot we get in the film. Every character in the film, much like Howard, is oddly unique, carrying a distinct eccentricity that adds charm to Lucky's everyday life.

Lucky's interactions with others in his town, both friends and strangers alike, provides a glimpse into life in a small community. His conversations with the locals, covering issues from the youth of today to World War II stories, reveal a tapestry of American life. Ron Livingston plays a life insurance agent who is new to town, his encounter with Lucky ties into the film's contemplation of death, loss, and loneliness.

The direction by John Carroll Lynch provides a stark and beautiful look at life in old age. The film features some beautiful cinematography, utilizing the desert landscapes to bring out a sense of isolation and loneliness. Amid this isolation and structure, there’s a slow journey toward acceptance of our impermanence, a warm feeling of tranquility and peace.

The cinematographer, Tim Suhrstedt, has done a remarkable job using warm, muted colors to reflect the rustic ambience of the desert town that Lucky calls home. The spacious shots send across a profound message of seclusion and the horizons of mortality that the titular character is staring into. The effective use of silence and the hauntingly beautiful soundtrack amplify these themes, provoking a sense of introspection in the viewer.

Moving at a languid pace, almost matching the timeline of its protagonist, the film requires patient viewing to appreciate the depth and nuances of its absorbing discourse on existence. Lucky, in essence, is a poignant and profound profile of a man pondering the realities of life and death. It’s a character study, both of Lucky and of Harry Dean Stanton himself. It’s about coming to terms with the inevitable reality of life - death.

The raw and touching performance by Stanton is undeniably the high point of the film. He flaunts the kind of authentic on-screen charm that can only be honed through an accomplished career spanning over six decades. His laconic, self-deprecating wit is paired with moments of vulnerability that together deliver a powerful, multi-dimensional portrayal of aging and the human spirit. This cinematic gem serves as a fitting farewell to a cinema great, offering the audience a last chance to appreciate his extraordinary talent.

Overall, Lucky is a meditative, beautiful, and deeply moving piece of cinema. Overflowing with life, poignancy and warmth, it's both a character exploration and a reflection on mortality, a fitting tribute to the late Stanton, and a film that stands on its own as a beautiful work of art. It is quintessentially a contemplative film — an introspective journey wrapped in sublime cinematography.