Pure Luck

Dir: Nadia Tass

1991

***

Nadia Tass's comedy remake of Francis Veber's La Chèvre (The Goat - or Knock on Wood as it was known in the UK) doesn't quite have the same feel of the original 1981 film, in the same way that no American remake of a French comedy ever does. What it does have however is the great Martin Short. I don't care what the film is, I love Martin Short, his mere presence is enough for me as I genuinely love that man. As Caryn James once put it "Martin Short can do anything, it seems, except find the right movies to star in." I can't think of anyone else who could have done Pierre Richard's character justice, although they're not quite comparable, both men make the role their own, where not many other actors could. He is brilliant at all kinds of comedy, particularly physical comedy, which I believe is something of a dying art. I'm not sure if Danny Glover could be considered America's answer to Gérard Depardieu but the actor loved the original and had a hand in developing the adaptation. It's not as if he could have played any other character in the film. Pure Luck was not popular with critics and I've never heard anyone say anything positive about it other than myself but it made money and I'm sure there must be someone else out there that likes it as much as I do. I don't think the film was as successful in Europe as it was in the states due to the original. La Chèvre became famous when it was the film showing in a cinema in Turin, Italy that burned to the ground, killing 63 people in 1983. 

 I liked the idea behind the story, it's ever so sweet and pretty hard to dislike in my opinion, although I do wish Martin Short would quit with the whole fat suit thing. Francis Veber was clearly impressed with Short's performance and had him in the lead role for his first and only American film Three Fugitives, which was a remake of his own film, again starring Pierre Richard and Gérard Depardieu. Sheila Kelley was also rather lovely in her supporting role and Harry Shearer's role is short but very sweet. An overlooked 80s film (made in the 90s) that I believe is far too adorable to hate, or indeed ignore.