Lucky Number Slevin (2006)

Lucky Number Slevin: Directed by Paul McGuigan. With Josh Hartnett, Bruce Willis, Lucy Liu, Morgan Freeman. A case of mistaken identity lands Slevin into the middle of a war being plotted by two of the city’s most rival crime bosses. Under constant surveillance by Detective Brikowski and assassin Goodkat, he must get them before they get him.

“Much like Alfred Hitchcocku0026#39;s North by Northwest (1959) Slevin tells the story about an average man (Josh Hartnett) who gets caught in an intricate and equally deadly web involving rival gangsters (Freeman, Kinsgley), a shady detective (Tucci), a world-renowned hit-man (Willis) and an irresistible girl-next-door type (Liu). u003cbr/u003eu003cbr/u003eI first saw this film when it was released on DVD. The sad part of it being that it was in the Wal-Mart discount bin, A display that everyone knows is filled with either really old movies or really bad ones. Being equipped with a five-dollar bill and no knowledge of the movie, I decided to give it a shot.u003cbr/u003eu003cbr/u003eFast forward a few hours later, and I was taken aback by what I had just watched. Lucky Number Slevin completely took me for a ride.u003cbr/u003eu003cbr/u003eThe movie starts off in an isolated airport terminal, with a wheelchair bound Bruce Willis telling a bystander a story about a horrific crime that took place years before. The story of the past crime deserves your attention as it will set up the rest of the movie and the events that unfold. u003cbr/u003eu003cbr/u003eThere are a lot of elements that make this movie a joy to watch. u003cbr/u003eu003cbr/u003eFirst off, the acting talent. Hartnett didnu0026#39;t play his typical teenage heartthrob role, Freeman played a cold-blooded gangster opposite of Kingsleyu0026#39;s conflicted Rabbi gangster, Willis did his thing and blew stuff up and Tucci played a hard-boiled detective with a shady past. And then thereu0026#39;s Lucy Liu. u003cbr/u003eu003cbr/u003eSecondly, the direction. Paul McGuigan used his trademark style and perfectly blended action with suspense, mystery and the right amount of wit. Anyone who isnu0026#39;t familiar with his work should take a few days and binge watch BBCu0026#39;s Sherlock as he has been the one to helm a majority of the episodes. u003cbr/u003eu003cbr/u003eLastly, the writing. Jason Smilovic, who has done only television before and after this film, really knew what he wanted to accomplish with a premise thatu0026#39;s been played out. He successfully wrote a complex tale that includes the the twists and turns one would expect in a movie about mistaken identity. He was also able to pull off writing an ending that comes full circle without confusing the audience. u003cbr/u003eu003cbr/u003eIn summation, Lucky Number Slevin teaches an old dog new tricks. The acting style of Hartnett is greatly complimented by two Oscar winners (Freeman, Kinsgley). Stylish action scenes donu0026#39;t seem over the top and arenu0026#39;t used as a filler (cough Michael Bay cough) and lastly the ending, while dark, will surprise and please the audience.u003cbr/u003eu003cbr/u003eIMDb gave Lucky Number Slevin a 7.8 out of 10. Iu0026#39;ll agree with their score but why not just give it an 8? While it may have won the praise of critics, it was given a limited release that didnu0026#39;t allow the film to be properly recognized.u003cbr/u003eu003cbr/u003eIf you havenu0026#39;t seen this movie before I highly recommend you do, itu0026#39;s a blast. This movie is definitely worth your time.”