n a world where luck is transferable by a simple touch and fortunes are waged at underground games of chance, casino owner and holocaust survivor Samuel (von Sydow), also known as "The Jew," is the god of chance. When Sam's protege, Federico (Poncela), expresses a desire for independence, Sam punishes him by taking away his ability to steal the luck of others. Left without his gift, Federico embarks on a mission of vengeance, seeking out lucky individuals and testing them before returning to the casino in Tenerife for the ultimate showdown with his old master.
Federico's search leads him to Tomas (Sbaraglia), the sole survivor of a plane crash, who is also wanted by the police for robbery. Tomas proves to have the same gift of luck-stealing, although he doesn't realize it until Federico enters him in a series of bizarre challenges against others of his kind in secret back rooms and dark alleyways. The players in each contest bring a picture of one person whose fortune they are wagering. The last person standing, i.e., "the luckiest person alive," will go on to compete against Sam in a game of life and death. The stakes are raised even higher for Tomas when he learns that his girlfriend's picture is among those being wagered.
As Tomas works his way through the games, he is pursued by a policewoman named Sara (Lopez). Sara is haunted by the memory of the car accident that killed her husband and daughter but left her alive. It turns out that Sara has the gift as well, and she finds herself caught up in the world of the games as she obsessively follows Tomas and Federico to Sam's casino, where the final one-on-one game will be played and only the most fortunate will survive.
The luck is on the side of the audience
In spite of his short list of credits (his only prior directing experience was the 1996 short film Esposados), Spanish director Juan Carlos Fresnadillo proves with Intacto that he has the technical skill to create a fresh and unique visual style without letting form overcome content. The influences of directors like M. Night Shyamalan and David Lynch is evident here, yet the film feels like something wholly new and original. The concept of luck being something that can be stolen and bartered is intriguing as well.
The film works best during the strange underground contests themselves, which range from a throw of a die to a breakneck race through a tree-filled forest in which the contestants are bound and blindfolded. Where it breaks down is in the details, such as the use of pictures of people as some sort of prized loot. They become highly important to the characters, although it is never truly explained how it all works. Fresnadillo, who also co-wrote the script, seems to have overlooked or taken for granted the rules of the world he has created, leaving the audience to try and decipher it for themselves.
Fortunately, the presence of Max von Sydow adds a certain pedigree to the project, and the veteran actor delivers a characteristically intense performance. Though his screen time is unfortunately minimal, he manages to give Sam a sense of both fragility and strength. Though unknown to American audiences, the rest of the cast is equally adept. In particular, Argentine actor Sbaraglia is compelling as the noble Tomas, whose goal is not to win the game but to save his girlfriend's destiny.
For those seeking refuge from the slick, big-budget, lowest-common-denominator fare that Hollywood seems to be churning out these days, Intacto is a welcome getaway. It's beautifully shot and visually impressive, but also gives the audience something to think about when the film is over.
