"A Kansas City Shuffle is when everybody looks right, you go left."

This past weekend was filled with more movie-watching goodness. I managed to squeeze 5 films in somehow. From my personal collection I watched X-Men: The Last Stand, Dead Poets Society and Ronin. And I decided to go out and rent a couple: Annapolis, which had very little potential and managed to cash in on none of it, and Lucky Number Slevin which turned out to be way better than I thought it was going to be. Today I get to write a review for one of those movies that just rocks!

Lucky Number Slevin tells the tale of Slevin Kelevra (Josh Hartnett) who is just the wrong guy, in the wrong place at the wrong time. After losing his job, his girlfriend and his apartment in the same day, things actually manage to get worse. He is mistaken for a friend of his who happens to owe a lot of money to the town’s two biggest crime lords: The Boss (Morgan Freeman) and The Rabbi (Sir Ben Kingsley). He is forced in to taking on a hitman contract against the son of The Rabbi and must also come up with $33,000 to pay off his missing friend’s gambling debt. With an eager neighbour (Lucy Liu) helping out and a ruthless assassin (Bruce Willis) following his every move, Slevin’s day goes from worse to abysmal.

"Sense is something you have when you have a choice."

At first glance Lucky Number Slevin looks like any other gangster movie. If anything though, the inclusion of so many high profile actors in one movie should tell you that a lot more is going on than meets the eye. This is one of those great caper films that only gives you enough information in each scene to whet your appetite for the next. The storyline unfolds in a clever and curious manner with flashbacks and jump-forwards filling in the gaps. I was not only entertained by some witty acting, but was also enthralled with the ingenious plot. Maybe I’m hyping it up too much but ultimately Lucky Number Slevin turned out to be far, far more engaging and entertaining that I thought it would. And I had high hopes to start with.

The cinematography and sets are just as curious as the plot. It’s all carefully arranged and decorated to keep your mind stimulated while trying to figure out what is really going on. And while I did figure out a few things early on I was still plenty surprised by a number of different twists and turns throughout the film. Unlike Inside Man, which I reviewed last month, Lucky Number Slevin manages to remain engaging and entertaining through to its finale. This is definitely a film that I could watch again and again.

"I was thinking that if you're still alive when I get
back from work tonight... maybe we could go
out to dinner or something?"

One of the most refreshing parts of the film was the various characters, played by actors that have seldom been seen in these rolls. Josh Hartnett portrays Slevin in a cool, relaxed and very witty manner. His interactions with the other characters are well scripted and delightfully executed. Lucy Liu is equally as clever and provides for some sharp dialogue with Slevin. Stanley Tucci even makes an appearance with a surprising and wonderfully acted finish. Morgan Freeman is probably the most startling in his role as a ruthless, yet intelligent mob boss. His manner reflects the charming and cheerful Freeman we’re used to in other films, but the heart of this character is unquestionably cold-blooded. His final confrontation with Sir Ben Kingsley’s Rabbi is chilling and revealing. And Bruce Willis does what he does best; being Bruce Willis. This is a good thing.

The picture quality of the single-disc DVD was phenomenal. Several times I was actually slightly distracted from the storyline by the clean, crisp colors and definition. This is one of those DVDs that makes you wonder how much better HD could actually look. Of course, having said that, I’ve actually seen HD and trust me, it truly is better than you can imagine. I was also impressed with the sound. The Dolby Digital 5.1 track produces a perfect balance between dialogue, music and sound effects. If you’ve ever seen the final gunfight in Open Range then you have an idea of how startling and impressive the sound effects are in Lucky Number Slevin.

"My name’s Goodkat. You can call me Mr. Goodkat."

Bonus features include two commentaries with director, Paul McGuigan, a couple of the actors and the writer. Deleted scenes and a short making-of featurette round out a fairly slim special feature offering with the standard trailer thrown in. I’m hoping this film will gain a good following like The Usual Suspects (no, I’m not comparing that phenomenal film to this quite-good film) and a 2-disc Special Edition will be available in the future. As usual, I haven’t had a chance to watch any of the bonus material. I keep saying that I’ll get back to you when I do watch it, but we both know that’s not likely. Do you really want to read a review on a movie’s commentary track?

I’ve read a couple of reviews that were very negative towards Lucky Number Slevin. I guess, like some movies, this is one that will either appeal to you greatly or will leave a bad taste in your mouth. But since you have great respect for me (you’re reading my blog aren’t you?) then you’ll obviously love Lucky Number Slevin and will be sending me numerous emails proclaiming my genius as a DVD reviewer and offering to name your next child after me in honour of my excellent taste in films.

Lucky Number Slevin gets 8 ½ broken noses (out of 10).
Look right, then go left and find ‘Lucky Number Slevin’ trivia here.