A thoroughly strange thriller with several memorable set pieces. However convoluted you find the central concept, it is hard to deny its originality.

When the lights came up, I thought, "Either that was a great movie and I didn't quite get it or that was not a great movie." I had to think it all over. Once I put the pieces together, I was convinced that it was a great movie. It is the only movie that I have ever seen twice on consecutive days. One question: Did the dealer cheat with the ace of hearts? I am not sure.

Aside from being well directed and acted it's intriguing, but in a way that's just a little too weird and incomprehensible to be truly great.

Intacto is one of the first films of the modern Spanish cinema that made an impact. Directed by Juan Carlos Fresnadillo, who later became a bit more famous with "28 weeks later", the film won the best film and best screenplay awards in Fantasporto 2003 festival. The plot of the film is completely original. It's the story of some people who are considered to be extremely lucky and they end up gambling their own life in a game of life and death. The film raises the questions of luck, fate and destiny in a clever way, although there are a few unexplained or contradictory parts in the screenplay. Direction is very modern, actors' performances are solid (Max von Sydow stars too) and the film can be considered a thought provocative action film. Extremely underrated in both imdb and rotten tomatoes it's highly recommended for it's originality and for being clever and cool at the same time.

Good idea, but grotesque.

Intacto is a film that takes place in a world just like our own, but strangely luck is basically a bankable commodity. The film centers on a group of extremely lucky people who take part in games of ever-increasing risk to see who is the luckiest. It's a really cool concept and not one I've seen explored in a film before or since. I just wish it was executed a little more effectively. For one thing they take a long time before they establish what's going on. I know it's nice to avoid unnecessary exposition but I think this might have been necessary. So many odd things take place and I find myself completely lost right up until we get an actual scene where something is explained. Then when things are explained they don't set up concrete rules about how the transferring of luck works. It doesn't hold any logical pattern so I still feel somewhat lost late in the movie. It's a shame because there's a good cast and a great concept that just fall slightly short of making a great film. I'd still recommend it as a mind-bender, but I wouldn't call Intacto a must-see.

Pour le concept original de la fluidité de la chance principalement.

El comienzo y su interesante premisa es de largo lo mejor de un film que se desinfla en el tercer acto y no consigue cerrarse con suficiente interes, ya que parece que no habia mucho mas que ofrecer que el argumento base, reitero, excelente, y donde residen todas las fortalezas del film, lastima, puesto habia material para algo realmente bueno.

awesome head scratcher

Intacto fait partie de cette catégorie de films qui, à eux seuls, parviennent à recréer un nouveau monde, un univers régi par des lois métaphysiques qui nous échappent et qui nous fascinent tout à la fois par peu de chose. Au fil des minutes, quelque chose semble nous échappe, on a l'impression de ne pas encore avoir très bien saisi... Mais il n'y a rien de plus à comprendre. Fresnadillo bâtit une réalité étrange par le seul concours de son imagination, et nous amène dans une quête effrénée du pouvoir en compagnie de Tomas Senz, ce jeune élu aux yeux plus gros que la panse. Malheureusement, à certains moments, il semble que le suspense s'affaiblit et que le spectateur décroche peu à peu jusqu'au moment où on se relance dans un autre jeu de hasard. Également, à certaines reprises, ce même décrochage est favorisé par le fait que certaines réactions des personnages apparaissent assez étranges et ne câdrent pas du tout avec ce que l'on nous a montré d'eux. Mission accompli pour un film de suspense réalisé sur la chance.

Good film making and definitely has a number of very good scenes. But the story doesn't make much sense and the whole thing is really pretty confusing.

Fine. Clever, high concept idea with a great, ironic climax. But also a bit slow in parts.

A vague concept but still a good show!!

Very fine little thriller. Visually stylish and interesting. It's original and sort of clever. It's not surprising Fresnadillo ended up making English-language film afterward.

Christopher Nolan smart. I've watched a lot of movies, but probably three of the top five smartest movies I've seen are Nolan flicks (Inception, Momento, Following). Make room for this film. A dynamite premise: luck is a commodity, easily transferred by something as simple as touch. Some people have the gift to take the luck of others. One man has made it his goal to find these people and use them for his own gain. It's an incredible story: a Jew who survives a concentration camp holds most of the luck. So much so that he will repeatedly take on others via an extreme form of Russian roulette with one chamber in a revolver out of six empty. The guest always shoots first. But Sam also has the ability to take away the gift. He takes away his son's gift, and that is the start of the story. The son tries to find another person with the gift so he can use him/her to get back at his father. The film takes some hits from critics. Maybe there are some plot holes. I didn't think anything gaping. Ebert asks if the cost of the gift is worth living alone with a bag over your head as Sam does (afraid that even a wrong look could take away his luck). As was the problem in Limitless, it seems greed is the biggest fallback to luck. I'm not so sure that is the case either. In this movie, everyone is willing to die in their gambling. Regardless, one of the smartest movies I've seen. Just a brilliant, original concept (though I guess The Cooler is based on a similar idea of sorts). To boot, it's solid, subtle acting, and the darkness on the screen matches the dark mood of the film. That may have been unintentional, but if the shoe fits...

Be willing to trust that you'll get the point, it develops slowing, but it's worth it.

Big props for an original story line. The authenticity of the plot makes it interesting. Good acting. The premise requires an acceptance of superstition, and the film does not earn that acceptance early enough. So, I couldn't fully commit to the story.

Virtuoso set pieces help sustain intrigue for the film's imaginative but ultimately thin yarn.

Good film making and definitely has a number of very good scenes. But the story doesn't make much sense and the whole thing is really pretty confusing.

WOW....an original movie...I was beginning to think there weren't any left.