One of the best films of 2006 is "Lucky Number Slevin." I feel as if I could end my review of this wonderful little film and know the world would take my word for it. I´d be wrong and I´m sure most people would not fully enjoy reading a review that is simply eleven words long. I really do feel this was one of the best films released theatrically last year. I am now ashamed that I did not try harder to see it on the big screen. I had intention to, but never quite made it. The film did not have the strongest legs and only secured twenty two and a half million dollars in domestic receipts. Some critics loved it. Other critics loathed it. The infamous Tomatometer was nearly even on those that rated it fresh and those that decried rotten. Therefore, I know it is simply my opinion that this film was as good as I consider it to be, but as far as I´m concerned, my opinion is the one that is most important to me. Hopefully, more than the 51% of those scoring the Tomatometer will agree with me.
This little picture from the Weinstein Company was jam packed with bankable names. Bruce Willis. Morgan Freeman. Sir Ben Kingsley. Josh Hartnett. Lucy Liu. That is quite a cast for a movie that flew under many people´s radar. Director Paul McGuigan had previously directed Hartnett in "Wicker Park," but aside from that picture, had very little visibility or experience in Hollywoodland. But with the acting talent attached and a very good story, "Lucky Number Slevin" was one of the best films of its genre that I have seen since "The Unusual Suspects." There were plot twists and although everything was apparently not as it seemed, there was enough not revealed until the end to keep you guessing as to what was happening. When one plot twist was revealed, there was another waiting in the wings. The story kept you guessing as to what would happen next and it kept you interested in what was happening as the story unfolded.
Slevin (Josh Hartnett) finds himself having a very bad day. He has been mugged, found his girlfriend having sex with another man and has woken up in a friend´s apartment, only to find his friend missing. A neighbor, Lindsey (Lucy Liu) barges in and finds him in just a towel and wants to borrow a cup of sugar. Lindsey sees everything as a big mystery, but Slevin´s bad day is about to get worse. Two thugs, Slo (Mykelti Williamson) and Elvis (Dorian Missick) come to collect Slevin for a man simply known as The Boss (Morgan Freeman). The Boss is looking for Slevin´s friend, Nick Fisher (Sam Jaegar) and with Nick missing and with Slevin not having a wallet, he must take Nick´s place on his forced trip to see The Boss. The meeting details that The Boss has recently had his son gunned down by a rival and wants Slevin to either pay a large sum of money that Nick owes or to put a hit on the rival´s gay son.
If his day wasn´t bad enough, the rival sends thugs looking for Nick and taking Slevin away in his place. Nick apparently owes money to the rival, a man called The Rabbi (Sir Ben Kingsley) and Slevin has a short amount of time to get the money together. When Slevin returns to the apartment, he finds Lindsey very willing to help solve the mystery of Nick´s disappearance, though Slevin is reluctant to tell her about the visits to The Boss and The Rabbi. Looming large in the story´s background is a professional assassin known simply as Mr. Goodkat (Bruce Willis). He appears to be playing both sides of the crime boss rivalry and has set up Nick to be the go between to settle some business with one side or the other. Poor Slevin has had a bad day and now finds himself caught in the fight between the two vicious crime lords and Mr. Goodkat is pulling the marionette strings.
Josh Hartnett portrays Slevin as a likeable smartass. His mouth constantly gets him in trouble, but he seems like a genuinely good guy. Lucy Liu plays against her stereotype and is no longer the kickass martial artist, but a very cute and bubbly mortician who is very much the kind of girl you want to take home for your mother to meet. The two make a cute couple on-screen and it is easy to find yourself rooting that they will end up together and that Slevin can get out of his multitude of dire situations. Kingsley and Freeman are not two people who you typically would think of as crime bosses. Still, they are such fine actors, that their quirky roles see valid. Freeman is just so charismatic, that he can play just about any role and be incredible. Kingsley has fallen a bit since the days of "Ghandi." He was in "Species" and a few other clunkers, but he makes a good Rabbi who also happens to be head of a crime syndicate. Bruce Willis is in a role that fits him as well as a finely tailored suit. How many times has he played a hitman? It doesn´t matter, because he can keep doing it and I´ll keep watching.
The story is meant to twist and contort the facts and the plot in order to confuse the audience. It makes no attempt to play it straight and just surprise you in the end, as "The Usual Suspects" did. From the moment you see Bruce Willis appear behind both Sir Ben Kingsley and Morgan Freeman, you know there is something fishy. Then, the opening scene starts to feel more and more out of place and you start to become fully aware that the events that unfolded there will come back during the end of the film. Still, you are left guessing as to what will happen. You want to see Slevin pull through and get the gorgeous Asian girl. You want to see the vicious killer get his comeuppance. It is hard to root against either The Boss or the Rabbi, but their respective henchman leave you wanting the two bosses dead for employing such morons. This is a fun film with a clever story and it keeps you guessing. Some big names are dropped during the credits and Lucy Liu is especially good in a role that is a stretch from those typically associated with the actress. I really do think this was one of the better films of last year. Value my opinion if you will, but remember that I place "Clerks II" in the same list. My tastes are sometimes a bit out of the ordinary.
This little picture from the Weinstein Company was jam packed with bankable names. Bruce Willis. Morgan Freeman. Sir Ben Kingsley. Josh Hartnett. Lucy Liu. That is quite a cast for a movie that flew under many people´s radar. Director Paul McGuigan had previously directed Hartnett in "Wicker Park," but aside from that picture, had very little visibility or experience in Hollywoodland. But with the acting talent attached and a very good story, "Lucky Number Slevin" was one of the best films of its genre that I have seen since "The Unusual Suspects." There were plot twists and although everything was apparently not as it seemed, there was enough not revealed until the end to keep you guessing as to what was happening. When one plot twist was revealed, there was another waiting in the wings. The story kept you guessing as to what would happen next and it kept you interested in what was happening as the story unfolded.
Slevin (Josh Hartnett) finds himself having a very bad day. He has been mugged, found his girlfriend having sex with another man and has woken up in a friend´s apartment, only to find his friend missing. A neighbor, Lindsey (Lucy Liu) barges in and finds him in just a towel and wants to borrow a cup of sugar. Lindsey sees everything as a big mystery, but Slevin´s bad day is about to get worse. Two thugs, Slo (Mykelti Williamson) and Elvis (Dorian Missick) come to collect Slevin for a man simply known as The Boss (Morgan Freeman). The Boss is looking for Slevin´s friend, Nick Fisher (Sam Jaegar) and with Nick missing and with Slevin not having a wallet, he must take Nick´s place on his forced trip to see The Boss. The meeting details that The Boss has recently had his son gunned down by a rival and wants Slevin to either pay a large sum of money that Nick owes or to put a hit on the rival´s gay son.
If his day wasn´t bad enough, the rival sends thugs looking for Nick and taking Slevin away in his place. Nick apparently owes money to the rival, a man called The Rabbi (Sir Ben Kingsley) and Slevin has a short amount of time to get the money together. When Slevin returns to the apartment, he finds Lindsey very willing to help solve the mystery of Nick´s disappearance, though Slevin is reluctant to tell her about the visits to The Boss and The Rabbi. Looming large in the story´s background is a professional assassin known simply as Mr. Goodkat (Bruce Willis). He appears to be playing both sides of the crime boss rivalry and has set up Nick to be the go between to settle some business with one side or the other. Poor Slevin has had a bad day and now finds himself caught in the fight between the two vicious crime lords and Mr. Goodkat is pulling the marionette strings.
Josh Hartnett portrays Slevin as a likeable smartass. His mouth constantly gets him in trouble, but he seems like a genuinely good guy. Lucy Liu plays against her stereotype and is no longer the kickass martial artist, but a very cute and bubbly mortician who is very much the kind of girl you want to take home for your mother to meet. The two make a cute couple on-screen and it is easy to find yourself rooting that they will end up together and that Slevin can get out of his multitude of dire situations. Kingsley and Freeman are not two people who you typically would think of as crime bosses. Still, they are such fine actors, that their quirky roles see valid. Freeman is just so charismatic, that he can play just about any role and be incredible. Kingsley has fallen a bit since the days of "Ghandi." He was in "Species" and a few other clunkers, but he makes a good Rabbi who also happens to be head of a crime syndicate. Bruce Willis is in a role that fits him as well as a finely tailored suit. How many times has he played a hitman? It doesn´t matter, because he can keep doing it and I´ll keep watching.
The story is meant to twist and contort the facts and the plot in order to confuse the audience. It makes no attempt to play it straight and just surprise you in the end, as "The Usual Suspects" did. From the moment you see Bruce Willis appear behind both Sir Ben Kingsley and Morgan Freeman, you know there is something fishy. Then, the opening scene starts to feel more and more out of place and you start to become fully aware that the events that unfolded there will come back during the end of the film. Still, you are left guessing as to what will happen. You want to see Slevin pull through and get the gorgeous Asian girl. You want to see the vicious killer get his comeuppance. It is hard to root against either The Boss or the Rabbi, but their respective henchman leave you wanting the two bosses dead for employing such morons. This is a fun film with a clever story and it keeps you guessing. Some big names are dropped during the credits and Lucy Liu is especially good in a role that is a stretch from those typically associated with the actress. I really do think this was one of the better films of last year. Value my opinion if you will, but remember that I place "Clerks II" in the same list. My tastes are sometimes a bit out of the ordinary.
One of the best films of 2006 is "Lucky Number Slevin." I feel as if I could end my review of this wonderful little film and know the world would take my word for it. I´d be wrong and I´m sure most people would not fully enjoy reading a review that is simply eleven words long. I really do feel this was one of the best films released theatrically last year. I am now ashamed that I did not try harder to see it on the big screen. I had intention to, but never quite made it. The film did not have the strongest legs and only secured twenty two and a half million dollars in domestic receipts. Some critics loved it. Other critics loathed it. The infamous Tomatometer was nearly even on those that rated it fresh and those that decried rotten. Therefore, I know it is simply my opinion that this film was as good as I consider it to be, but as far as I´m concerned, my opinion is the one that is most important to me. Hopefully, more than the 51% of those scoring the Tomatometer will agree with me.
This little picture from the Weinstein Company was jam packed with bankable names. Bruce Willis. Morgan Freeman. Sir Ben Kingsley. Josh Hartnett. Lucy Liu. That is quite a cast for a movie that flew under many people´s radar. Director Paul McGuigan had previously directed Hartnett in "Wicker Park," but aside from that picture, had very little visibility or experience in Hollywoodland. But with the acting talent attached and a very good story, "Lucky Number Slevin" was one of the best films of its genre that I have seen since "The Unusual Suspects." There were plot twists and although everything was apparently not as it seemed, there was enough not revealed until the end to keep you guessing as to what was happening. When one plot twist was revealed, there was another waiting in the wings. The story kept you guessing as to what would happen next and it kept you interested in what was happening as the story unfolded.
Slevin (Josh Hartnett) finds himself having a very bad day. He has been mugged, found his girlfriend having sex with another man and has woken up in a friend´s apartment, only to find his friend missing. A neighbor, Lindsey (Lucy Liu) barges in and finds him in just a towel and wants to borrow a cup of sugar. Lindsey sees everything as a big mystery, but Slevin´s bad day is about to get worse. Two thugs, Slo (Mykelti Williamson) and Elvis (Dorian Missick) come to collect Slevin for a man simply known as The Boss (Morgan Freeman). The Boss is looking for Slevin´s friend, Nick Fisher (Sam Jaegar) and with Nick missing and with Slevin not having a wallet, he must take Nick´s place on his forced trip to see The Boss. The meeting details that The Boss has recently had his son gunned down by a rival and wants Slevin to either pay a large sum of money that Nick owes or to put a hit on the rival´s gay son.
If his day wasn´t bad enough, the rival sends thugs looking for Nick and taking Slevin away in his place. Nick apparently owes money to the rival, a man called The Rabbi (Sir Ben Kingsley) and Slevin has a short amount of time to get the money together. When Slevin returns to the apartment, he finds Lindsey very willing to help solve the mystery of Nick´s disappearance, though Slevin is reluctant to tell her about the visits to The Boss and The Rabbi. Looming large in the story´s background is a professional assassin known simply as Mr. Goodkat (Bruce Willis). He appears to be playing both sides of the crime boss rivalry and has set up Nick to be the go between to settle some business with one side or the other. Poor Slevin has had a bad day and now finds himself caught in the fight between the two vicious crime lords and Mr. Goodkat is pulling the marionette strings.
Josh Hartnett portrays Slevin as a likeable smartass. His mouth constantly gets him in trouble, but he seems like a genuinely good guy. Lucy Liu plays against her stereotype and is no longer the kickass martial artist, but a very cute and bubbly mortician who is very much the kind of girl you want to take home for your mother to meet. The two make a cute couple on-screen and it is easy to find yourself rooting that they will end up together and that Slevin can get out of his multitude of dire situations. Kingsley and Freeman are not two people who you typically would think of as crime bosses. Still, they are such fine actors, that their quirky roles see valid. Freeman is just so charismatic, that he can play just about any role and be incredible. Kingsley has fallen a bit since the days of "Ghandi." He was in "Species" and a few other clunkers, but he makes a good Rabbi who also happens to be head of a crime syndicate. Bruce Willis is in a role that fits him as well as a finely tailored suit. How many times has he played a hitman? It doesn´t matter, because he can keep doing it and I´ll keep watching.
The story is meant to twist and contort the facts and the plot in order to confuse the audience. It makes no attempt to play it straight and just surprise you in the end, as "The Usual Suspects" did. From the moment you see Bruce Willis appear behind both Sir Ben Kingsley and Morgan Freeman, you know there is something fishy. Then, the opening scene starts to feel more and more out of place and you start to become fully aware that the events that unfolded there will come back during the end of the film. Still, you are left guessing as to what will happen. You want to see Slevin pull through and get the gorgeous Asian girl. You want to see the vicious killer get his comeuppance. It is hard to root against either The Boss or the Rabbi, but their respective henchman leave you wanting the two bosses dead for employing such morons. This is a fun film with a clever story and it keeps you guessing. Some big names are dropped during the credits and Lucy Liu is especially good in a role that is a stretch from those typically associated with the actress. I really do think this was one of the better films of last year. Value my opinion if you will, but remember that I place "Clerks II" in the same list. My tastes are sometimes a bit out of the ordinary.
This little picture from the Weinstein Company was jam packed with bankable names. Bruce Willis. Morgan Freeman. Sir Ben Kingsley. Josh Hartnett. Lucy Liu. That is quite a cast for a movie that flew under many people´s radar. Director Paul McGuigan had previously directed Hartnett in "Wicker Park," but aside from that picture, had very little visibility or experience in Hollywoodland. But with the acting talent attached and a very good story, "Lucky Number Slevin" was one of the best films of its genre that I have seen since "The Unusual Suspects." There were plot twists and although everything was apparently not as it seemed, there was enough not revealed until the end to keep you guessing as to what was happening. When one plot twist was revealed, there was another waiting in the wings. The story kept you guessing as to what would happen next and it kept you interested in what was happening as the story unfolded.
Slevin (Josh Hartnett) finds himself having a very bad day. He has been mugged, found his girlfriend having sex with another man and has woken up in a friend´s apartment, only to find his friend missing. A neighbor, Lindsey (Lucy Liu) barges in and finds him in just a towel and wants to borrow a cup of sugar. Lindsey sees everything as a big mystery, but Slevin´s bad day is about to get worse. Two thugs, Slo (Mykelti Williamson) and Elvis (Dorian Missick) come to collect Slevin for a man simply known as The Boss (Morgan Freeman). The Boss is looking for Slevin´s friend, Nick Fisher (Sam Jaegar) and with Nick missing and with Slevin not having a wallet, he must take Nick´s place on his forced trip to see The Boss. The meeting details that The Boss has recently had his son gunned down by a rival and wants Slevin to either pay a large sum of money that Nick owes or to put a hit on the rival´s gay son.
If his day wasn´t bad enough, the rival sends thugs looking for Nick and taking Slevin away in his place. Nick apparently owes money to the rival, a man called The Rabbi (Sir Ben Kingsley) and Slevin has a short amount of time to get the money together. When Slevin returns to the apartment, he finds Lindsey very willing to help solve the mystery of Nick´s disappearance, though Slevin is reluctant to tell her about the visits to The Boss and The Rabbi. Looming large in the story´s background is a professional assassin known simply as Mr. Goodkat (Bruce Willis). He appears to be playing both sides of the crime boss rivalry and has set up Nick to be the go between to settle some business with one side or the other. Poor Slevin has had a bad day and now finds himself caught in the fight between the two vicious crime lords and Mr. Goodkat is pulling the marionette strings.
Josh Hartnett portrays Slevin as a likeable smartass. His mouth constantly gets him in trouble, but he seems like a genuinely good guy. Lucy Liu plays against her stereotype and is no longer the kickass martial artist, but a very cute and bubbly mortician who is very much the kind of girl you want to take home for your mother to meet. The two make a cute couple on-screen and it is easy to find yourself rooting that they will end up together and that Slevin can get out of his multitude of dire situations. Kingsley and Freeman are not two people who you typically would think of as crime bosses. Still, they are such fine actors, that their quirky roles see valid. Freeman is just so charismatic, that he can play just about any role and be incredible. Kingsley has fallen a bit since the days of "Ghandi." He was in "Species" and a few other clunkers, but he makes a good Rabbi who also happens to be head of a crime syndicate. Bruce Willis is in a role that fits him as well as a finely tailored suit. How many times has he played a hitman? It doesn´t matter, because he can keep doing it and I´ll keep watching.
The story is meant to twist and contort the facts and the plot in order to confuse the audience. It makes no attempt to play it straight and just surprise you in the end, as "The Usual Suspects" did. From the moment you see Bruce Willis appear behind both Sir Ben Kingsley and Morgan Freeman, you know there is something fishy. Then, the opening scene starts to feel more and more out of place and you start to become fully aware that the events that unfolded there will come back during the end of the film. Still, you are left guessing as to what will happen. You want to see Slevin pull through and get the gorgeous Asian girl. You want to see the vicious killer get his comeuppance. It is hard to root against either The Boss or the Rabbi, but their respective henchman leave you wanting the two bosses dead for employing such morons. This is a fun film with a clever story and it keeps you guessing. Some big names are dropped during the credits and Lucy Liu is especially good in a role that is a stretch from those typically associated with the actress. I really do think this was one of the better films of last year. Value my opinion if you will, but remember that I place "Clerks II" in the same list. My tastes are sometimes a bit out of the ordinary.
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