Lucky Number Slevin (2006)

How boring it is to label a movie Tarantino-esque anymore. The thing is, when it comes to an offering like Lucky Number Slevin, the shoe fits, and the result is anything but boring. Gruesome killings, arid wit, self-reflexive pop culture references, an A-list cast, and style-heavy production values abound, which gives the proceedings an epoxy bond that seals the Q.T. homage factor. Josh Hartnett--who spends a lot of buffed-up time with his shirt off--is Slevin Kelevra, a hapless fellow visiting his New York friend Nick. But Nick has disappeared, which sets off a mistaken-identity thrill ride when two goons grab Slevin (he's in Nick's apartment so he must be Nick) and take him to their crime lord boss, the Boss (Morgan Freeman). The Boss doesn't care about Slevin's wrong-man protests; he just wants the $96,000 Nick owes him. In one of many offers he can't refuse, Slevin has to agree to murder the son of the Boss's felonious arch rival, the Rabbi (Ben Kingsley) or take the bullet himself. But Slevin turns out to be no ordinary patsy. Thrown into the ingeniously designed production, clever plot twists, and academic nods to Bond, Hitchcock, and obscure old cartoons are Lucy Liu as a sexy coroner, Stanley Tucci as an obsessed cop, and Bruce Willis as a wily hit man with his finger in many pots. With so much visual and narrative trickery, there's almost too much to absorb in one viewing of this convoluted jigsaw puzzle of revenge and entertaining mayhem. Lucky Number Slevin isn't quite up to par with similarly brainy thrillers like Memento and The Usual Suspects, but the prospect of seeing it again in order to get your bearings is just as appealing. --Ted Fry Amazon.com

Lucky#Slevin

Good movie, but format that Amazon claims as DTS Surround in incorrect. When I received my copy it was Dolby 5.1. Not a huge deal, but I prefer DTS and expect it when its advertised. August 2, 2008

Loved it!!!

I won't repeat the story since the reviews before mine did a wonderful job of that. I just want to say, I loved this movie! It was one surprise after another and brought back my faith in good, clever, innovative movies again. With all the sequels and remakes, it's so refreshing to find something completely different! This one is well worth the viewing time. You'll never guess the ending! July 27, 2008

Surprised by the plot.....or how I love the "Kansas City Shuffle"

I got this video to supplement my collection of HDDVD movies.
I did not know much about the movie, other than it had a decent cast in Morgan Freeman, Sir Ben Kingsley, Bruce Willis, Josh Hartnett, and Lucy Liu.

I don't read movie synopsis, so that at least there MAY be a surprise for me.

This movie did not disappoint.

It started off with a bang and then rolled into a nice tale unusual for today's Hollywood.

It won't disappoint! July 3, 2008

Wonderful ride, keeps you guessing

Wow. Kind of like a mesh between Pulp Fiction, The Big Lebowski, and The Departed. The plot starts out w/o giving you much clue as to what's going. As it unravels, it slowly draws you in with dry humor and multiple twists and turns along the way. By the last 30 minutes you'll be on the edge of your seat wondering what's going to happen next! All star cast with a really fun plot. Be sure the kids are in bed before watching this one though... July 2, 2008

Just watch it

This was not a film that I thought I'd like. I had never even heard about it upon its release a couple of years ago, and I'd never talked with anyone who had seen it, let alone recommended it. I ended up watching it while channel-surfing late one night, and was rapidly caught up in the story.

First, the cast is as close to "all-star" as you can get for a movie like this, with Morgan Freeman, Ben Kingsley, Bruce Willis, Josh Hartnett, and Lucy Liu each contributing expert performances. I liked that the story was filled with enough humor to offset the violence (which is necessary in a story like this). I also like that it was fast-paced and kept me guessing (usually incorrectly). At the end, my first thought was "I've got to see this again", and since it wasn't scheduled to appear on cable or on demand for at least a week, I ordered the DVD from Amazon. It was a smart purchase and I've watched it several times since then.

I won't repeat the basic plot elements here because they have been well documented by other reviewers, and I don't want to give anything away. Instead, I'll talk about some of the things that have made this movie one that I now recommend to my friends any time we start talking about films. As mentioned above, there's an outstanding cast turning in stellar performance and a smart, witty script, but this movie offers more. The production is really beautiful, which is not something you normally associate with a film like this. Each set and each scene is convincing and designed to reinforce the characters and the story line. Whether it's the shabby apartment that Slevin's family lives in, the loft that his absent friend owns, the opulence of the two penthouses owned by the Boss and the Rabbi, there is a visual coherence that is compelling and impressive. The soundtrack was also used effectively to underscore the story's development.

All of these features combine to produce a movie that is extremely satisfying and only gets better with repeated viewings. Many reviewers have compared it to "The Usual Suspects", and it's a valid comparison, but "Suspects" was a movie that I respected more than I enjoyed it. This movie is one that I love to watch, and to me, that's what really makes a film memorable. June 24, 2008

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