Perhaps "Lucky Number Slevin" should have been called "Slevin and the Terrible, Horrible, No Good, Very Bad Day" because the title character (Josh Hartnett, "Wicker Park") sure seems down on his luck at the onset of the film. He loses his job, discovers his girlfriend's infidelity and then gets mugged. And that's just the beginning, as things quickly take a turn for the worse.
The film's premise is a classic case of mistaken identity àla Hitchcock's "North By Northwest." Having just arrived in New York to escape his recent misfortunes, Slevin is crashing at his friend Nick's apartment. He barely has time to shower, throw on a towel and engage in some casual flirting with the cute next-door neighbor, Lindsey (Lucy Liu, "Domino"), when some hired goons take him hostage.
Turns out gambling woes have led to Nick owing some important people a substantial amount of money. With his life on the line, Slevin becomes caught in the middle of a war between two feuding crime gangs — one led by The Boss (Morgan Freeman, "An Unfinished Life") and another ran by The Rabbi (Ben Kingsley, "BloodRayne"). Unable to convince them that he was just in the wrong place at the wrong time, Slevin is left with no choice but to concoct his own scheme to get out of his high-stakes mess.
If only it were that easy. Adding to Slevin's troubles are a nosey detective (Stanley Tucci, "The Terminal") and a mysterious hit man known as Mr. Goodkat (Bruce Willis, "16 Blocks"), who always seems to be lurking around the corner. "Lucky Number Slevin" is a fun crime drama that unfolds rapidly and chaotically with each narrative convolution. Despite its confusion at times (especially the beginning, when a lot of bodies start piling up for unknown reasons), the film keeps a good pace that intrigues until the end, when everything becomes clearly understood.
Yet, like the cons that occur in the plot, the film itself is rather deceiving. Everything mentioned thus far alludes to "Lucky Number Slevin" as a modern film noir. It was blatantly advertised as one, that's for sure. One need only glance at the film's poster with its shadows, profiles and smoky haze to understand the feeling the filmmakers were going for. Inarguably it does contain certain elements of the genre, but all in all, it is misleading.
"Lucky Number Slevin" is more along the lines of an American take on Guy Ritchie's British gangster capers "Lock, Stock and Two Smoking Barrels" and "Snatch." With fast and clever dialogue mixed with dark humor, "Lucky Number Slevin" actually provides more than it lets on. Though it may offer nothing new when compared to such predecessors, the twists and turns are indeed a fun ride for the audience, especially when such an all-star supporting cast is at the reins.
Yet one problem remains — the entire film is placed in the hands of Josh Hartnett. Seriously, Josh Hartnett? "Lucky Number Slevin" is a movie that basks in the glory of its own quirkiness, as most dark comedies do. And by all means, it should. Liu is at her best since her breakout role on "Ally McBeal." The ever-reliable Willis and Tucci bring their A-games as well. Even Kingsley, the man who won an Oscar for playing Gandhi, is brilliantly eccentric as the aging Jewish don. But Hartnett, despite his best efforts, will be plain as white bread until the day he dies, and his performance as Slevin only reinforces it. The viewer keeps hoping he will eventually start having fun with the role, but instead they are left watching his cast-mates outshine him time after time.
Yet the simplicity of Hartnett's performance does work to highlight another aspect of the film's appeal — its intricate visual style. Every shot of "Lucky Number Slevin" is pristinely designed using a combination of bold colors, fun patterns and crazy shapes. Just watching the wallpapers change from scene to scene is enough to keep the viewer continuously entertained. The sensory overload that the production design provides truly augments the film's quirky quality.
"Lucky Number Slevin" tries its best to ride on the coattails of Ritchie, Tarantino and other recent successful crime caper films like "Sin City." And it succeeds in the sense that by no means does it ever feel like the viewer is watching a complete rip-off. Rather, "Lucky Number Slevin" results in being one of those films that manages to entertain, but will not exactly linger in the minds of the viewers as something extraordinary.
Rating: 3 out of 5
