All he wanted to do was surprise his loving, supportive wife with a reservation at the old hotel they had once stayed, but when Roberto, played by comedian Jose Mota, gets into a freak accident, he goes from being a nobody to an instant celebrity.
Spanish director Alex de la Iglesia’s film, As Luck Would Have It (La Chispa de la Vida), is an example of our society’s willingness to go as low to sell even our own dignity for the right price.
That old hotel has now become a museum and the outdoor coliseum is where Roberto is stuck after his unfortunate accident. The media, in attendance for the grand opening of the museum now swarm around Roberto, making him the news of the hour. Even his friend who rejects his job application earlier that day changes his mind and offers him the job.
It’s been a hard few years for Roberto, who has struggled with unemployment and tries his best to find a job to support his family. When he is faced with this accident, his first thought is how can he make some money for his family. Roberto enlists an agent to incite a bidding war for his story in the media.
His headstrong wife, Luisa, played by Salma Hayek, continues to support him while trying to maintain the respect and privacy of Roberto from the media circus at the accident scene. Salma Hayek gives an excellent performance as Luisa and Jose Motz is entertaining as Roberto.
As Luck Would Have It is a film that will move the viewer and quite honestly a good commentary on what society is like today. A film worth watching and one of the Cinema of Our Time selections at the Vancouver International Film Festival 2012.
[Rating 3.5/5]
