It’s kind of hard to forget a movie with a title like this. I mean, half this fucking movie is its title. Lucky Number Slevin is a twisty and sleek thriller about a guy who finds himself in the middle of a gang war. Boasting a phenomenal cast, an intriguing story, and a great script, it’s a sleeper hit that never got the attention it deserves. Sure, it gets a bit too cocky and convoluted from time to time but at least it’s entertaining. Even when the story gets like this, you want it to “work out”. And you want to find out what’s actually going on since the movie keeps the cards close to its chest. Only during the finale will we find out everything.
Lucky Number Slevin opens with a bunch of seemingly unconnected murders. We then meet our protagonist, a strapping young lad by the name of, you guessed it, Slevin. He just got to New York to visit his friend Nick. He’s not the only one looking forward to visiting him, as not one but two gangs are looking for him. In a case of mistaken identity, Slevin gets picked up instead of Nick. He has to play along or face dire consequences. His only help is an inquisitive and extremely hot neighbor, played by Lucy Liu. And so, the stage is set for an epic tale full of murder, twists, and mystery.
Josh Hartnett was the right choice for the lead role along with Bruce Willis who plays the enigmatic hitman Goodkat. Bruce first gave us a taste of his dark side in The Jackal, a bit cheesy but entertaining nineties thriller. And I’m sure you’re all familiar with The Whole Nine Yards. I’m not going to even bother talking about Morgan Freeman’s and Ben Kingsley’s performances. However, I do have to mention Stanley Tucci who was excellent as the detective Brikowski. Lucky Number Slevin, in retrospect, tells a familiar crime story, probably inspired by Guy Ritchie movies.
It feels odd to say that every crime thriller featuring a smart story, stylish cinematography, and a good script is reminiscent of Ritchie’s opus. But that’s just the way it is. Lock, Stock and Two Smoking Barrels, and Snatch were that influential. The key ingredient of his movies and the movie we’re talking about today is humor. Witty, intelligent, and sly humor, of which Lucky Number Slevin is chock full of. Moreover, the atmosphere is quite vibrant and you have a feeling anything can happen at any time.
All of this makes the viewing experience a true pleasure. Especially if you’re looking for something mildly gripping and highly entertaining. When you don’t want to take a chance on a new movie but are looking for something a bit more familiar. Well, that search can now be finally over. Considering the relatively small budget of just $27 million, Slevin also looks great. The cinematography has those saturated colors and crisp focus I like so much. And the camerawork is just as good, especially during the action sequences. I just wish there were more of them.
We usually go through a lot of dialogue and twists before the story culminates with a sleek action scene. Well, you wanted an intelligent crime thriller, so this is the bargain you must accept. New York City was the perfect setting for something like this.
Director: Paul McGuigan
Writer: Jason Smilovic
Cast: Josh Hartnett, Ben Kingsley, Morgan Freeman, Lucy Liu, Bruce Willis, Stanley Tucci, Michael Rubenfeld
Fun Facts: Josh Hartnett and Jason Smilovic were roommates while Smilovic was writing the script for the movie. A lot of the time, Hartnett was walking around with a towel around his waist so Smilovic wrote that into the script.
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IMDb Link: https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0425210/
