I was once asked to explain the secrets behind my prowess when it came to the matter of wooing over members of the opposite gender. I know you may ask yourself why someone would ever need to know such information, but the question was one that was honest. I gave the very simple explanation that in a relationship I have always been slow to start, but I have the unique ability to finish well. In seeing Lucky Number Slevin, the latest offering from the Weinstien Company, I feel that I have found a film that parallels my ways with the ladies.
At first sight this film may seem like your average murder comedy, falling in line with the likes of The Whole Nine Yards or even The Whole Ten Yards. This sentiment is enhanced by the fact that this film stars Bruce Willis as a legendary contract killer with a hidden agenda. Hmm, I think we have seen this before, eh? Willis' character, known as Goodkat, is a man with a secretive plan that includes the use of a young guy named Nick Fisher, played by Josh Hartnett. The only problem is that Hartnett's character is not actually Nick Fisher, he is Slevin. And despite the mistaken identity, being in the wrong place at the wrong time lands Slevin in the middle of an impending gang war between two very old foes, played by Morgan Freeman and Sir Ben Kingsley. He soon finds out that not only are tensions high between the two very powerful men, but also that the mysterious Nick Fisher is in debt deep to both sides, leading to him being charged with the most dangerous tasks of redemption: murder. As if to say that being forced into being a contract killer isn't enough, Slevin is sidetracked by the energetic and alluring girl next door Lindsey, played by Lucy Lu. And with the chips all stacked against him, the unshaken Slevin is forced into a path that leaves a lot of blood and a significant dose of laughter along the way.
Slevin's path, to say the least, is littered with absolutely wonderful performances from an all-star cast. Willis is as he always is, the epitome of the creepy contract killer with a little bit of a heart; and Hartnett brings to the character of Slevin his usual dosage of sarcasm, charisma and charm. But the real show stoppers are the performances from the men that play the really bad guys. Morgan Freeman is used to being the good cop or the hero, so the chance to play a very cold-hearted mob boss must have come as a breath of fresh air, a factor which shines through in his sensational performance. And not to mention Ben Kingsley; It must be said that Ben Kingsley is so British that he is even afforded the honor of being known as Sir Ben Kingsley. That is what makes the fact that he plays a Jewish mob boss known as The Rabbi so ironic, due to the fact that I don't think he is really Jewish. He pulls of the accent and the light hearted toughness of a conflicted man of God with precision that can only be delivered by an actor of his caliber.
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