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Not so "Lucky Number Slevin" |
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Written by MICHAEL JAMES ALLEN
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Friday, 07 April 2006 |
“Lucky Number Slevin” is a film madly in love with itself. It drips with style and atmosphere, and uses complicated dialogue that’s there just for the sake of it. This trend started way back in 1994 with “Pulp Fiction” and certainly doesn’t have to be a bad thing. Here, however, it feels like the film is just showing off, desperately trying to convince us how “hip” it can be.
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"Lucky Number Slevin"
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 Entertainment
Art
Directed by Paul McGuigan
Written by Jason Smilovic
Starring Josh Hartnett, Bruce Willis, and Morgan Freeman
Rated R for violence, sexuality, and language
Released April 7, 2006
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The film starts out with one of the cleanest, fanciest ‘70’s flashbacks I’ve ever seen. In it, a story unfolds about a botched race at a horse track, and while this story is sort of (ham-handedly) related to the plot, I suspect it was included just because the writer thought it was clever. Cut to 20 minutes later when we finally meet our protagonist, Slevin (Josh Hartnett), who is decidedly very unlucky: After losing his job, his girlfriend, and his apartment he moves to New York where he is promptly mistaken for a debt-ridden friend by not one, but two, big-time mob bosses. The rest of the film details Slevin’s attempts to not only avoid being killed by these mob bosses, but also figure out why Goodkat (Bruce Willis), a world-class assassin, has taken a sudden interest in him. If the plot sounds too simple, don’t worry — I assure you the film is filled with all sorts of twists and turns, including several Big Reveals you’ll figure out a good 40 minutes before the characters do.
“Lucky Number Slevin” is a well-made film, but can’t rise above its convoluted script. Boasting names like Josh Hartnett, Bruce Willis, Morgan Freeman, and Ben Kingsley, the cast is all as charming as you’d expect them to be, but stuck playing unlikable characters. Lucy Liu is also on hand as the perfunctory love interest, and while she is absolutely adorable she ends up relegated to a pretty meaningless character. The direction by Paul McGuigan is very strong as well—he certainly knows how to make a good movie, so it’s a shame he chose to make this one.
There are worse movies out right now, but there are also better ones far more deserving of your $10 (like the recently - released “Brick”). My advice is to just go see one of those instead. Powered by AkoComment 2.0! |
