Forget Lucky Number Slevin - how 'bout lucky me!

This is one finely spun tale - there is a really clever writer behind this story, who's name I'll look up on IMDb in just a minute*, but for now, let me tell you more about how the plotline was performed...

Loaded up with good actors in archetypical roles - starting with the bedrock experienced performances of Ben Kingsley and Morgan Freeman. Man, those guys can act. Then throw in Bruce Willis in ultra-low-key. Finally, sprinkle in a little Lucy Liu and Josh Hartnett to enhance the flavor. What da ya got?

You tell me.

Sure, the cynics'll say: "I saw it all coming a mile away". Pity, the jaded movie goer - because it all has been done before. But, for those open to riffs and new combinations of the great old story themes, well there's still plenty 'o' delight left. Take Lucky Number Slevin for example - it's not only real, really good - it's great. I enjoyed it even more than Kiss, Kiss, Bang, Bang for it's groundedness in emotional motivation.

6 out of 5.

(* Jason Smilovic)

I didn't like the looks of this film from the trailer, but it's pretty great, actually. It's a smart little flick with some sharp performances from an all-star cast. Plus, a great, unexpected twist in the end. I can't ask for more, really.

It's a lot of fun.

B+

Well acted and fairly entertaining throughout, but ultimately too Hollywood for it's own good. Almost every time you think the film is about to grow some balls and sucker punch you, it pulls back and leaves you feeling frustrated. An insanely cheesy and melodramatic cop out of an ending is just the final cherry on top. There's a great film tucked away in here somewhere. It's just a shame it had to be drowned in gooey syrup for mass consumption.

C+

I loved this film, and finally a month after seeing it there's a thread where i can say it

It's the most fun i had at the cinema since Kiss Kiss, Bang Bang. There was way more humour than i was expecting which was a pleasant surprise and all the actors put in a good turn. Yes you see the twist a mile off but it doesn't matter as its so well written and slick, the best film i've seen so far this year. A.

Lucky Number Slevin is an effectively twisty and entertaining. It has its fair share of flaws, but it's entertaining and clever enough that it's not always easy to determine all of the film's twists. Josh Hartnett is fine as Slevin, presenting a likeable persona without losing the character's edge. Lucy Liu is wonderful as love interest Lindsey; it's nice to see a female character in a thriller who doesn't turn out to be evil or have some other agenda for once. Bruce Willis gives a nicely understated performance as the mysterious Mr. Goodcat, Morgan Freeman and Ben Kingsley inject some special kind of class into the whole thing, but Stanley Tucci is criminally underused. The film is very funny in spots and just ends up being pretty entertaining. Definitely a positive surprise for me. B

"...is effectively twisty..." or "...is an effectively ...entertaining *insert noun*."

Wow. What a ride. I'm sure some will say "I saw it coming miles away". Yeah, and I saw the ending to The Sixth Sense coming a mile away. I'd still recommend it to other people. Whether the movie is "predicatable" or not (I don't think it is) is irrelevent. The first (and only) scene in which Morgan Freeman and Sir Ben Kingsley are together alone in a room...it's freaking Morgan Freeman and Ben Kingsley! Anyway, the movie was loaded with twists and great acting (even form Hartnett). I highly recomend anyone this to everyone.

A-

BJs Grade:

B+

fun watch, very well acted

great flick. B+ I think an underwhleming pace and lack of action keep it from the A territory but still awesome movie

A+

It reminded me alot of "Confidance" but it had a good cast I think this is the best film josh has done in awhile.

A lot of fun from start to finish is the best way to put it. It certainly keeps you guessing and everytime you think you have it all figured out, it suddenly changes once again.

Terrific film, and definately deserving of a second viewing. A

I really really didn't enjoy this. In all fairness, i didn't really want to see the movie.

With such a good cast, i thought they would be able to make it enjoyable for me, considering it isn't my type of film. However, i was wrong, the story seemed muddled, the pacing was patchy and the script was rather weak.

I think this is the worst film i'v seen this year.

Take that with a pinch of salt, because it really isn't my type of film.

Well, it was no Wedding Singer, that's for sure...

Mediocre movie that tries to be cool but comes off lame instead. C.

A decent Tarantino/Ritchie clone with standout performances from Hartnett, playing the confused man in the wrong place at the wrong time and Liu as the bubbly sexy girl next door.. It's always nice to see Freeman and Kingsley in action as well though they seem to be slumming it here. Willis's Character is suitable cryptic throughout while the inevitable twist in the tale is pretty well hidden (for me anyway). Great soundtrack backs up the action as well.
Downsides, well it is a bit to long and some of Kingsley's and Freemans monologues are a bit unnessesary, but overall a enjoyable movie.

B+

Oh, that was slick.

For those of you not keeping tabs at home, I gave it a C in the poll. All style, absolutely no class.

Is it just me, or did this film and twist make no sense?

Let me get this straight.

Hartnett is the boy, looking for revenge on the two bosses. He wants to kill them.

So he sets up this huge elaborate plan, creating a fake persona and personality Nick Fisher, making him seem like the wrong man at the wrong time, killing the Boss's son, setting up the debts scenario, putting himself in a situation to kill the other son, Mr. Smith also lying and backstopping everything, this whole thing to make the two angry against each other... I guess.

But why? I can't see how this huge plan has anything to do with kidnapping and killing the two bosses, they're world class assasins, what the hell is with the huge complex plan? Even when they do take the Rabbi, it has nothing to do with any of the rest of the movie, they just kill his bodyguards and take him. Fucking retarded.

It's like they decided to make this whole big twist, oh lookiee Hartnett will be evil!, and they fail to check out the details of it at all, it's like they expect if they put all this dimensions in this oh so glorious scheme, it will make it seem more smart and brainblowing. Or maybe I just missed something.

... Also, the actions of Hartnett so would not work out that way, if he was in control the whole time.

Apart from that, the movie's dialogue is always trying to be witty and comedic.. and it just ends up being grating. The style and direction, who thinks that was even good? It felt like a music video, like makeshift said, it's just so glossy and such. I agree with the post above, it's the definition of a shallow movie, all looks and no meat underneath. Acting was decent, I particularily liked Kingsley, though that cannot near make up for the rest of the movie, which is a mess.

C-

Well, Shack....

Didn't they just steal the records (rather, kill the two guys with the record books) and see who owed money to both sides? And then find that guy out and kill him?

What about all the stuff with the two sons, killing them and creating a war between the 2 sides? And Mr. Goodcat and all the scheming? What I don't see is why they even had to go through with the Nick Fisher business at all, if they're assasins, why not kidnap and kill them from the start? At the very least assume the identity of Nick Fisher, gain entry into the two buildings, say I'll bring your money in tomorrow, and take the two bosses then... But even that much plotting probably wasn't needed. It's a twist ending for the sake of a twist ending, and it doesn't check out.

It was good, all the, its the next snatch got me interested, but Kiss Kiss Bang Bang is much better than this film. It's very clever, but at times the twist is rather, thats very rediculous instead, that was mindblowing, I never would have expected it.

It was entertaining, with good acting, but overall I felt bored at times. I checked to see how long it was. B for me.

Magnus, you probably got this movie a lot more than me, or you wouldn't have loved it so much... Can you explain this to me, because I still can't get it.

How the entire scheme, creating the Fisher identity, setting up animosity by killing the 2 sons, creating the money situation with him paying off the debts, basically all Hartnett's and Willis' evil plan, have anything to do with them kidnapping and killing the bosses? I mean I don't fucking see any connection at all, not even a little bit. And I know there has to be something there, right?

How about, most importantly, for revenge? And secondly for the money?

Killing them simply wasn't enough. Instead Slevin and Goodkat got both of them to think they both killed the other man's son, and even got The Boss to do it. (They killed the Boss' son themselves, and that got The Boss to hire them to kill The Rabbi's son, under the presumption that the Rabbi had done it.) They made sure to rub this in their faces before they put plastic bags around their heads and suffocated them to death. This was in many ways a whole scheme and crime of passion. Slevin was out to get revenge for the brutality and murder of his father, which they (The Boss and The Rabbi) did THEMSELVES back when they were still partners. Goodkat dedicated himself to Slevin because of his personal involvement at the time; he wanted to amend what he was apart of before. He wanted justice for the little boy he got know.

And of course, they both received a huge cash settlement from this whole affair (the money paid to Goodkat by The Boss for killing The Rabbi's son). This is the money that was then offered to The Rabbi by Slevin to pay his "debt" (which he really didn't have in the first place) before they killed him.

So two reasons/motives: passionate revenge (at least for Slevin) and money.

PEACE, Mike.

Eh, I see. Still think it's all a bit silly though, I relate it to Ocean's Twelve's "We had the egg from the beginning but we were just humiliating and teaching him a lesson" twist.

C/C+/B-/B

Lucy Lui, yeah!!! A so-so film, I don't know what to give it. A very, very inadequate ending to an otherwise enjoyable flick.