“’Slevin’ is a Lucky Number for Josh Harnett”
Every year a movie sneaks into theaters with very little buzz despite a strong cast. The critics usually ignore or dismiss it as smug, self-conscious or convoluted. But in time, these films build a cult following and begin a second life. Last year, that film was my favorite: Don Roos’ “Happy Endings.” This year, “Lucky Number Slevin” is already tiptoeing into the multiplexes, and will probably die a quick death. Because this early funeral is completely undeserved, I predict reemergence of this noir black comedy once it hits DVD. For those who read my column, maybe you won’t wait the customary six months and discover this riotous, violent comedy staring Oscar winners Ben Kingsley and Morgan Freeman, action star Bruce Willis and the typically bland Josh Harnett in a star-making, slick performance that could take him to another echelon, if only anyone sees the movie.
In a New York airport, a mysterious man (Willis) tells a stranger a story about gambling, revenge and cold-blooded murder. At the same airport, Slevin (Harnett) arrives in town to visit his buddy. He shows up to the empty apartment, with no clue where his friend has gone. Slevin’s absent host has a dangerously high gambling debt and before Slevin knows it, he has been mistaken as his buddy by a gangster’s henchmen. Despite Slevin’s protestations, they drag him (in nothing but a towel) to The Boss (Freeman). The Boss forces Slevin to work off the debt (that isn’t his in the first place) by bringing down the Boss’s rival, The Rabbi (Kingsley). Brought into the mix are the duplicitous Willis who turns out to be a mercenary, and a daffy coroner (Lucy Liu) with a crush on Slevin. Everyone has their own agenda and Slevin must devise his own if he expects to stay alive.
There are many reasons for critics to compare “Slevin” to the films of Quentin Tarantino (“Reservoir Dogs” and “Pulp Fiction”) and Guy Ritchie (“Snatch” and “Lock Stock and Two Smoking Barrels”) with its breezy dialogue, pop references and snazzy monikers like Mr. GoodKat and Slevin. But the roots are farther reaching. Its twisted plotlines, mistaken identities and pasts intertwining with the present are more reminiscent of the French farces of Moliere. Writer Jason Smilovic, creator of the failed TV gem “Karen Sisco,” has fun with the characters. He never takes these dire situations too seriously, acting as if this were tokens on a game board, moving around for our amusement.
Director Paul McGuigan (creator of the new hit Andre Braugher TV drama, “Thief”) keeps the pacing fast and directs his flavorful cast with trust in their own talents.
McGuigan has already directed Harnett in 2004’s “Wicker Park” and though I did not see their first outing, it is apparent Harnett feels very comfortable under McGuigan’s helm. In action flicks (“Pearl Harbor”), sex comedies (“40 Days and 40 Nights) and powerful dramas (“O”), Harnett has always had the intensity of a candle submerged in water. As Slevin though, Harnett displays ease in this role, mustering charm and wit found in the 30’s movie stars.
Liu has never been so coquettish. The antithesis for her ball-breaking persona from “Ally McBeal,” her Lindsay plays a giggly, but determined girl Friday in a role that could have been written for a 20-year-old Audrey Hepburn.
An engaging, hilarious, but brutal film, “Lucky Number Slevin” will twist the mind with its intricate plotting and will tickle the funny bone with its screwball comedy dialogue. Catch it before it is unceremoniously ousted from theaters. Grade: A
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