A Ton of Luck (2006) Poster

(2006)

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7/10
Simple but Satisfying
fatcat-7345025 June 2022
Four soldiers deep in the jungle find a massive cache of millions of dollars. There is so much money, in fact, that they can't keep it hidden and can't even carry it off by themselves, with the rest of the battalion eventually catching wind of it and subsequently sharing it out among the soldiers.

The rest of the film is more or less the pedestrian types of problems you'd expect would arise in such a situation. There's some mutual distrust, there's one ethical soldier who wants to report it, there's the irresponsible overspending and flaunting of the cash.

Apparently it's based on a true story and the story really tells itself. The very situation is fascianting enough to elicit curiosity in the non-wealthy - what would you do if you suddenly got half a million dollars?

The endings are rather predictable and Marzquez-esque in tone, but lacking in the social commentary or timelessness of that author's short stories.

Good production values, a great song, excellent acting and casting. Definitely worth a watch.

Honourable Mentions: Mosquito Coast (1986). A crazy scientist escapes modern life in the jungle but can't quite make his dreams of development a reality. Most of this movie was also set deep in the Colombian jungle.
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8/10
A pretty good tale of duty versus temptation
gbscar14 August 2006
"Soñar no cuesta nada" was based on the true story of more than 140 Colombian soldiers who found an illegal fortune belonging to the FARC guerrillas in the middle of the jungle and who, instead of informing about it, decided to keep the money for themselves. As you can imagine, most of them spent it far too fast and far too naively.

All of this originally happened back in 2003 and now most of the real soldiers are on the run, with a few either turning themselves in or having been captured, and a couple of them ending up dead as a door nail. The story caused a rather public controversy in Colombia, which continues even after most of the captured soldiers have been recently sentenced to 3 - 10 years in jail, depending on their specific actions / responsibilities.

That is the true story, as chronicled by the press. The movie is clearly based on it, but adds a considerable amount of fiction to the tale, and even stops a bit short of what really happened (it was made before the sentencing phase, for example).

While none of the characters involved mirror their real life counterparts that closely, the issues at stake are well represented, including the moral and personal sensitivities involved. In that respect, the movie succeeds, aided by a talented cast (by Colombian standards), a remarkable photography work and a very active soundtrack. A reasonably good sense of humor is in it too, though non-Colombians might not catch all the in-jokes and ironies involved (some of which are better than others though). Still, the overall theme of professional duty and honesty versus personal necessities and temptation is universal and remains accessible enough.

As for the ending, I'll simply say this: the final few minutes could have used some more conflict and perhaps a bit less of the sappy stuff. An additional 5 to 10 minutes couldn't have hurt. As it is, things happen a bit too fast and, while the film remains quite interesting in its own right, the final result does tend to simplify the consequences of the soldiers' actions. A good movie, certainly, but it could have been even better. Overall, I give it 7.7/10 or so.
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1/10
my god why this movie was sent to represent Colombia on the Oscars!
moralesduarte289 February 2008
Warning: Spoilers
When I heard the film was to be released and the theme of what it was about, I felt very curious. But when I saw it was the biggest deception of my life. Technically speaking, the sound is poor, you can tell about man dialogs that were remade on studio that are poorly achieved in the final mix. Secondo of all, the photography is mediocre, some part of the films show some soldiers with night vision goggles, and the way the cinematographer achieves that "dark night" is by illuminated everything like if they were in an actual military base with lights, there's no reference used of the moonlight, my god! Thir but not least, most of the ac tings are really poor, it's totally not believable the roll of the wife of one of the soldier, her performance it's pretty poor.

Great disappointing, shame of the jury who chose to send this movie to represent Colombia on the Oscars.
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8/10
Entertaining tale about human nature
TdSmth513 June 2008
Warning: Spoilers
A battalion, tired, neglected, and sent to rescue foreign hostages roams the jungle and fights with FARC narco terrorists. A couple of these soldiers we meet earlier in the film as they're out on the town in a strip joint/ brothel/ bar. One of them falls in love with a certain prostitute-stripper and vows to come back for her- after all, it doesn't cost anything to dream (as the title goes). Back in the jungle they find a neglected FARC camp. By chance, one of our friends discovers a container with money hidden in the ground. There's more, lots more. Millions in dollars and pesos. Initially the group of friends try to keep the money from the battalion and the leader but as one of them activates a mine and sends money flying through the air, everyone is alerted.

The battalion divides all the money instead of alerting higher ups of the find. Now they are rich, but still in the jungle eating bugs and without toilet paper. They gamble, trade their pesos for dollars among themselves at high rates, and purchase items they like from each other at ridiculous high prices. One soldier is the lone exception, he wants to inform the command of the find and refuses to take his share of the money because it is blood money that finances drugs, kidnappings, and is not their money after all.

The military refuses to extricate them from the jungle so one of our group shoots himself in the leg. Now they have an injured soldier and the Colombian army comes to pick them up. Back at the base they are about to get searched by the military to ensure no one has taken some of the FARC weapons they found. As luck would have it, the search is interrupted and the battalion gets a day off.

And off they go to spend like, well, drunken soldiers: fancy clothes, sneakers, jewelry, sunglasses, SUVs, and of course a night in the brothel, which they shut down just for them. Not only that but they can't keep quiet and flaunt their money everywhere. Our soldier in love meets his girl and buys her freedom for marriage- or so he thinks. As they return to base next day dressed as pimps with shopping bags in hand a nasty surprise awaits them.

But the movie has a surprise for us, too. The one soldier who seemed so honest and moral that he wouldn't take any of the dirty money- his story frames the rest at the beginning and at the end.

This movie is well-realized, except for the action sequence which is kinda slow for our terms. Post-production and re-recording, done in Argentina, has its problems. The movie is funny, engaging, entertaining, has a couple of twists and turns. Highly recommended for a more light-hearted look at the military aspect of the fight against FARC terrorists.
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8/10
An Murderous Passion
Chaves777721 December 2006
When i hear about that Verónica Orozco was in a film called "Soñar no cuesta nada" well... i say...good! But then, i hear about the plot... well, i was not so informed about the case. Then i saw it... and i really think the movie is very good. A good proposal for the movies of my country.

The story talks about a group of soldiers that discovers a lot of money from an armed illegal group. They takes it. Based on a trues story that happens not so long time in Colombia, "Soñar no cuesta nada" is a movie of desire and feelings.

Here, much people has ideas and opinions about the lucky of those soldiers, well, you must know that the movie don't express any opinion about what happens. The movie just tell us about the facts and don't have any opinion about it. So, in this way the movie is good.

For other way, is a shame that some of the actors (a problem of all the movies of all the world) must to have the same people that we see in many films or in TV. But there is a thing that change me an opinion about one of the actors, Diego Cadavid. And is about his performance. I think now he is a good actor. Because as the paper of a soldier who want a "good" life with all the money, and he wants his money! A good topic of desire.

Please, this is a commentary of the film, i don't write anything about the events or the people who was involved in it. This is a good film with really good performances. See it when you can!!! And if you like great dances of beautiful women... you won't be sorry. I mean... Verónica Orozco is there... you want other reason?

*Sorry for the mistakes... well, if there any
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10/10
justice
alkismandralis21 August 2006
really good movie combines the hilarious with the reality and makes emphasis in how this people sacrifices for this money that was so important for them who needed anyways because if they gave that great amount of money back surely the politics of Colombia would have taken the money for their own goods LOL.......... This makes you stand in the place of this young soldiers who have no good payment and no money, well it is true that is bad to steal what it's not yours but anyways these people found that Money doesn't matter if it was on Colombian territory because if they gave that money back to the government they will only receive a stupid medal and the politicians would've taken all the money and steal it themselves
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8/10
Quite a good movie
javiermdr8 September 2006
I have seen the movie, and found it very interesting. It is quite well done, and sound is very good. Usually sound in Colombian movies is very poor, but this movie shows the improvement we have had in this area.

It is worthless to say that the this movie was based upon an actual situation that happened in Colombia a few years ago.

As one of the commenter told previously, the story within the movie moves very fast and by the end of it, you feel you were not in the cinema for more than 10 minutes. This is good. This is an indicator for a very good movie, in which you feel not the time going by… but it also indicates that the Director should have add a few more minutes to get deep within the characters personalities -which is a minus of this production- characters are shown very briefly.

I have scored with 8, more thinking in the enormous work that would have been the production of this movie, rather than how deeply it is.
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Poor story well depicted
Michael-Malloy6 January 2012
Warning: Spoilers
A poor script based on a true story, acting is almost alright and the very first bit with the hot dancing girl gives you a clear idea of what you're going to watch... On the other hand, it really depict some of the Colombian customs, with the help of the Virgin, cupidity and greed, may we all be blessed. What kind of army do they really have in Colombia ? An entire battalion with the same idea but not the same I.Q will lead this grotesque farce to a schmaltzy ending. Is it all they really want once they get rich after all ? I was expected a less superficial movie with some good acting but at the end I have to admit : it costs nothing to dream...
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