- Title: Lucky Number Slevin
- IMDb: link
I’m not a big Josh Hartnett fan; I’ve seen to many of his movies. I know that sounds harsh but anybody else remember Hollywood Homicide, 40 Days and 40 Nights, Blow Dry, and Pearl Harbor? Slevin takes a rather simple plot and twists it up in a maze-like formula of so many thrillers these days. While it’s better than something like Taking Lives in the end that’s not saying much. It’s not bad, it’s got a good cast and a few memorable moments, and a 70’s style set designer for some reason. But in the end it’s just okay. Still, any film where Josh Hartnett gets punched repeatedly in the face I’m all for.
Slevin (Josh Hartnett) decides to take a trip to New York City to visit his friend Nick Fisher (Sam Jaeger). From the moment he steps into NY things go wrong. First he’s mugged getting into town losing his wallet and all identification (and getting his nose broken for the first time) and on arriving at Nick’s apartment is taken by thugs to be the owner of the apartment, his friend Nick, who has fled the city owing money to two competing gangster families and left Slevin holding the bag. With friends like these…
Trying to explain the situation to The Boss (Morgan Freeman) and The Rabbi (Ben Kingsley) gets him nothing but more shots at his broken nose and several bruises. Also hiding amongst the scenes are a professional killer named Goodkat (Bruce Willis) with his own agenda that includes the “Kansas City Shuffle,” and Detective Brikowski (Stanley Tucci) who’s got everyone under surveillance and is trying to figure out just who this kid is. That’s the story, well that and a horse race that took place years before that put all these dominoes in motion.
Of course that’s only part of the story as the film is filled with plot twists and turns trying to keep you guessing what’s coming next. It turns out some of the characters know far more than they’re telling while others know far less. For example it turns out Nick didn’t abandon his friend to his fate, but he was the guy taken out by Goodkat in the film’s opening scene. While not completely predictable the outcome isn’t necessarily a surprise either for the attentive movie-goer. Still the actors give fine performances, I especially liked Lucy Liu as Nick’s neighbor, and the plot has enough in the tank to make it to the finish line without running out of gas. Not all the twists actually work, but enough do to keep the film from barreling too far off the tracks. Also of interest is the rather pecular art and set decoration for the film with such strong 70’s influences that until a character pulls out a cell phone you’re not actually sure when the film is taking place.
Last year a similiar film came out starring Robert Downey Jr. and Val Kilmer (in what may be his best role ever) called Kiss Kiss Bang Bang which follows a similiar type of murder, drama, comedy, twist-and-turn thriller structure and does it as well as, and in my opinion better, than any film of this genre has ever done. Sadly as I watched Slevin I couldn’t help but make the comparison. Slevin just doesn’t measure up. It’s not as well written, or funny, or even that memorable. It never goes far enough or takes the leap necessary for this type of film to be more than just another genre picture
Lucky Number Slevin is a fine film I think many people will enjoy and then forget about within a week. Yes you’ll have a good time, yes you’ll be able to poke holes in the plot afterwards, but other than a pleasant couple hours in the theater the film doesn’t leave you with much. I’m still recommending it because it was enjoyable for what it was, but Kiss Kiss Bang Bang (available on DVD June 13) has raised the bar so high that a film like Slevin actually comes out a little unlucky for being released so soon after because it doesn’t give you the same Bang for your buck.