A tense and intricate web of deceit and betrayal entangles Archie (Norman Reedus), a wandering grifter who is hired by a traveling carnival owner (Armand Assante) to murder his beautiful wife, Divana (Dagmara Dominczyk), only to be seduced into acting as her accomplice. He tries to fake the murder and collect his payment, but is double-crossed and framed for the crime. On the run, and believing Divana dead, he chances upon her in New Orleans where he discovers the fake murder was just a diversion for her and the carney owner to steal a quarter of a million dollars in laundered casino money. In a seductive play for trust fueled by passion, Divana convinces Archie to take part in a new plot to steal the casino money and start a new life. In a twisted finale he discovers the true meaning of double-cross in a deadly collision of money and revenge.

Festivals:

Festivals in 2003:

Oldenburg Film Festival
Milano International Film Festival

"'Tough Luck', a taut and clever neo-noir, is well titled… In no time at all the double-crosses come thick and fast, culminating in a gratifying twist, then ending on a deft note of wistfulness that is surprisingly just right… It’s an enjoyable diversion, with Assante’s thoughtful and authoritative portrayal of Ike in the A league…"
- Kevin Thomas, LOS ANGELES TIMES

"Ellis shows a verve that transcends the rote material, using atmospheric location shooting in New Orleans and the back roads of Alabama, and a bag of editing tricks including split screens and shifting speeds…"
- Jon Strickland, LA WEEKLY

“Archie is a small time criminal surrounded by a web of deceit and betrayal. He is hired by a circus-director to kill the breathtakingly beautiful snake-woman Divana. But he falls for her charms and she in turn forces him into a coalition against her husband. Archie tries to trick them but he’s turned in and has to flee. A year later he learns that the murder was only the cover-up for a much bigger crime. The circus director used Archie’s ordeal to quietly rob a casino. Archie seeks revenge but once again is seduced by Divana. Can he trust her still? Lust, revenge and greed are the main ingredients of this thriller that takes us on a journey where trust can mean death and enemies turn out to be exactly that.”
-Oldenburg International Film Festival Catalogue

"Oldenburg has become a haven for young American talents. Even though the name of the town remains hard to pronounce more and more upcoming directors and innovative distributors want their films included in the festival’s programme. Sometimes remarkable world-premieres can be discovered in Oldenburg like Gary Ellis’ stunning thriller “Tough Luck” which is a typical Oldenburg-style indie-gem.”
-Kreiszeitung Syke (regional daily newspaper)

“Gary Ellis’ film is edgy, witty, startling and just plain good filmmaking, its no wonder that festival director Torsten Neumann names it as one of his favorite films of this year. “Tough Luck” embodies all the qualities that make the Oldenburg International Section worth watching.”
-Die Welt (nationwide daily newspaper)

“The world premiere of “Tough Luck” was well received and it remains to be seen if this film gets the international distribution it deserves. Greed, lust and revenge push this intense psychological caper-movie to its surprising conclusion.”
-Nordsee Zeitung (daily newspaper, north-west Germany)

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