Don't Pick These 'Lucky Numbers'

Lisa Kudrow's delightfully devilish, money-grubbing, back-stabbing and violent character in "Lucky Numbers" makes you wonder what happened to Phoebe.

It's a testament to Kudrow's acting that this character is about the farthest thing from her sunny "Friends" persona. She was the most enjoyable part of an occasionally funny, but otherwise dull film.

In this Nora Ephron-directed film (she did "Sleepless In Seattle" and "Hanging Up"), John Travolta stars as Harrisburg, Penn.'s favorite TV weatherman, Russ Richards. He's swarmed by fans (mainly female) on a daily basis, has his own parking spot, a roped-off table at Denny's and runs a snowmobile dealership.

Unfortunately, his weather predictions are also predictions of his fate -- there's no snow in sight for winter, and not a soul in his showroom.

Heading for financial ruin, this pillar of the community (he's a Big Brother and a member of the Rotary Club) enlists the help of a shady strip club owner played by brilliant actor Tim Roth.

The plan: To conspire with Richards' TV station girlfriend Crystal (the lotto ball girl) and rig the state lottery.

Of course, all does not go according to plan and laughter -- or in my case, yawning -- ensues.

The storyline is not new. Small-town guy in debt needs money fast and resorts to illegal schemes to get it, with everything falling apart in the process. It sounds like "Fargo," but "Lucky Numbers" is not nearly as darkly funny, tragic or intelligent.

The greed, mistrust and violence that ensues is reminiscent of two other much better films, "Shallow Grave" and "A Simple Plan."

The scene-stealing performance by Kudrow, as well as a funny turn by Bill Pullman as a lazy-beyond-belief cop, provide most of the laughs. Documentary filmmaker Michael Moore and Ed O'Neill also have small but memorable roles.

Travolta is watchable and amusing at times, but you don't feel his pain. He's either smarmy and egotistical, or just plain dumb.

At the end of it all, you really don't care who gets the $6.4 million prize, whether it's Moore, Kudrow, Travolta, Roth, O'Neill or the lottery corporation.