Intact (2001)
"Intacto" (original title)

An enigmatic tale of four people whose lives are intertwined by destiny are subject to the laws of fate. They discover that luck is something they cannot afford to be without as they gamble... See full summary »

Director:

Juan Carlos Fresnadillo

Writers:

Juan Carlos Fresnadillo, Andrés M. Koppel

Stars:

Leonardo Sbaraglia, Eusebio Poncela, Mónica López

11 wins & 9 nominations.

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Leonardo Sbaraglia	...	Tomás
Eusebio Poncela	...	Federico
Mónica López	...	Sara
Antonio Dechent	...	Alejandro
Max von Sydow	...	Samuel
Guillermo Toledo	...	Horacio
Alber Ponte	...	Marido Sara
Andrea San Vicente	...	Hija Sara
Jesús Noguero	...	Cautivo 2
Ramón Serrada	...	Cautivo 3
Marisa Lull	...	Enfermera Planta
Luis Mesonero	...	Gerard
Pedro Beitia	...	Inspector
Jaime Losada	...	Encargado
Susana Lazaro	...	Cautiva

Storyline

An enigmatic tale of four people whose lives are intertwined by destiny are subject to the laws of fate. They discover that luck is something they cannot afford to be without as they gamble with the highest stakes possible in a deadly game from which only one of them will emerge intact. There is Tomas, a young thief and the sole survivor of a horrific plane crash; Federico, who survived a massive earthquake and discovered he has the power to rob those around him of their good fortune with a touch; Sam, a casino owner who is the ultimate survivor after losing everything but his own life in the terrible conflagration that enveloped Europe during the Second World War; and Sara, a policewoman who walked away from a car crash that killed her family and becomes obsessed with uncovering the truth behind a clandestine gambling ring where death and luck intermingle.

---

Plot Keywords:

luck | survivor | death | gambling | sole survivor | 

---

Taglines:

All bets are on.

---

Genres:

Thriller | Drama

---

Motion Picture Rating (MPAA)

Rated R for language, some violence and brief nudity

Details

Country:

Spain

Language:

Spanish English

Release Date:

9 November 2001 (Spain)

Also Known As:

Intact

Filming Locations:

Las Cañadas del Teide, La Orotava, Tenerife, Canary Islands, Spain

Box Office

Opening Weekend:

$7,362 (USA) (13 December 2002)

Gross:

$302,675 (USA) (7 February 2003)

Company Credits

Production Co:

Canal+ España, Gestevisión Telecinco S.A., Sociedad General de Cine (SOGECINE) S.A.

Technical Specs

Runtime:

108 min

Sound Mix:

Dolby Digital

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

2.35 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

The film crew could not get permission for filming from a helicopter in the National Park of "Las Cañadas del Teide", so they used a remote controlled mini-helicopter.

---

Goofs

The first time wee see the Russian roulette 5-bullet variation, in Ucanca, when Samuel picks up the revolver then slides out the cylinder to spin it, he does it in a way that would have caused all bullets to fall off, yet none does. That would have been impossible.

---

Connections

Features La ruleta de la fortuna (1990)

---

Soundtracks

"Can You See Me"
Written by Chunky Nelson
© Carlin Production Music

User Reviews

EXTRAORDINARY POWERS OR A LEAP OF FAITH ?

INTACTO (INTACT) is the story of a group of `gamblers' whose ultimate bet is their own life (or others peoples life). Sam (Max Von Sydow) a Jewish only survivor of a concentration camp, runs a high class Hotel / Casino in the in a volcanic island. There; while normal people use money, others come to bet their possessions (which are not money) against Sam's wealth (the casino and other `things' he won over the years). The game, Russian roulette, one empty chamber, the challenger shoots first. Sam's protégé, Federico, concerned that Sam may someday lost, and moved by his own ambition, decides to go against him, but to avoid the confrontation, Sam `de-activate' Federico.

At this point you are probably questioning about what I am writing; well, basically these characters can control LUCK. Yes, they have plenty and are able to steal others people luck and use it for their own profit or as a possession to bet against others.

Federico is no longer able to control luck; so he must find his own protégé to play against Sam, and finds Tomas, a fugitive (only survivor of a plane crash) whose only interest is to run away. Three other characters emerge: a police woman, a bull fighter and Tomas ex-girlfriend; everyone is a part of the destiny of the others.

Harry Potter is nowhere around; there are no WIZARDS or enchantments. If you ever knew a gambler, you probably heard about their eccentricities, like do not touch them, do not take pictures a some other things many people believe and many others are afraid to confront.

The basic principle of atheism is that men control their own destiny; and that is precisely the question here. All these people believe in themselves; they are their own God, but also when their faith is lost, also are their powers. Are there really powers ?. The answer of these questions is absolutely metaphysical because faith in itself has no logical explanation.

Fresnadillo's movie is not for everyone. There are no likable heroes (every character is moved by selfishness or ambition), and the premise is absolutely about religion and nothing about the material world (even when seems the contrary). At about two hours, the pace is more European than American and are not quite clear, but none of these things are faults, is just a matter of taste.

There are also very intense and interesting scenes like the run in the forest, that will take out your breath.

If you are out for something unconventional, give it a try. It is an interesting game.