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Review: Lucky Number Slevin (2006)

Lucky Number Slevin (2006)

Directed by: Paul McGuigan

Premise: A case of mistaken identity puts Slevin (Josh Hartnett) into the middle of a war between two rival crime bosses: The Rabbi (Ben Kingsley) and The Boss (Morgan Freeman).

What Works: Lucky Number Slevin is primarily a dialogue driven film. Although written directly for the screen it feels like a play. The film has some extremely sharp dialogue and there is a music and a rhythm to it that the film is able to maintain from beginning to end. The acting is solid. Freeman is especially good playing against type as a scheming villain.

What Doesn’t: Although the story is tight, some of the plot points in the film, especially in the climax, cross the line from unity and into unbelievable coincidence, especially the subplot involving Detective Brikowski (Stanley Tucci).

Bottom Line: Lucky Number Slevin is a very unique and fun film to watch, in part because it is a tall tale. The style and the economy of the storytelling overcome the leaps in believability and in the end this a very satisfying picture. Definitely recommended for fans of Wes Anderson and Guy Ritchie.

Episode: #91 (April 9, 2006)