Review: 'Slevin' too clever, but still a fun flick

If “Lucky Number Slevin” has a fault, that is it. But for film fans, it’s a delectable couple of hours.

While “Slevin” is decidedly derivative of movies made by the likes of Hitchcock and Tarantino, it’s fun to watch and – if for no other reason – deserves attention for the production design of François Séguin and the cinematography of Peter Sova. Everything else aside, the visuals here are as good as they get in cinema circa 2006.

Director Paul McGuigan and Jason Smilovic, who wrote the screenplay, are to be applauded as well. They seem to know what they are doing is not altogether “original” but have utilized their influences in the best ways they possibly could have done.

Stellar cast

What speaks most highly of the film’s power, though, is the stellar cast who signed on when “Slevin” was merely a project on paper.

Unknown directors with limited budgets seldom see their films populated by the caliber of such high-dollar performers as Morgan Freeman, Ben Kingsley, Bruce Willis and Josh Hartnett.

But actors – who one hopefully assumes are film fans as well as members of Hollywood’s work force – seem to love screenplays like “Lucky Number Slevin.” It seems to be the case here.

Maybe a juicy little role sometimes trumps a hefty paycheck.

Everyone involved – from the superstars like Willis, Kingsley and Freeman to the simply great purveyors of their trade like Stanley Tucci and Lucy Liu – seems to be having a fun time.

That feeling comes across to the viewer.

That said, this must be stated as well: The plot of “Luck Number Slevin” is mostly incomprehensible.

On the other hand, the experience of viewing it is nothing but fun.

So it is a difficult piece of work to review.

The best advice is: Just don’t TRY to understand.

But if you must, use “The Usual Suspects” as a reference. That’s possibly the best entirely inexplicable film ever made.

Confusing plot

In “Slevin” Josh Hartnett plays a person everyone thinks is Nick Fisher.

Nick owes money to two warring mob bosses.

Morgan Freeman is “The Boss” and Ben Kingsley is “The Rabbi.” Each of them want something from Nick Fisher. If he can’t pay his debts, he has to pay his dues.

But he’s not Nick Fisher.

Willis enters the scene – in a role that is as good as he’s ever performed – as Mr. Goodkat, a highly skilled professional assassin with a history and credibility that can’t be questioned.

Goodkat is stalking Nick … who isn’t really Nick.

Nick (who isn’t really Nick) falls into a trap he can’t escape.

Or at least that’s the way it seems.

Things work out somehow in the end, and I really enjoyed every confusing minute.

Many critics are attacking the film’s “cleverness.”

Maybe that is a valid point. As mentioned in the opening of this review, it’s at least a point to be considered.

After consideration, I’ll say that “The Lucky Number Slevin” works fine for what it is.

Maybe it’s over-stylistic, derivative and manipulative. But maybe that’s something we sometime need.

It’s THE MOVIES.

I’m off to see the wizard.

And frankly my dear, I don’t give a damn.

Jim Wunderle owns Wunderle Sound Services and is a Springfield free-lance writer and musician. He can be reached at info@wunderle

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