K-SCORE: 90
Director: Paul McGuigan
Writer: Jason Smilovic
Starring: Josh Hartnett, Lucy Liu, Bruce Willis, Morgan Freeman, Ben Kingsley, Stanley Tucci
Spoiler Level: None
I feel Lucky Number Slevin flew under the radar, especially considering it’s about assassins and mobsters with a cast featuring five great actors and Josh Hartnett. I actually don’t hate Josh Hartnett; I just think he has a terrible agent. This is his second best role, but he’s actually great in it, playing the suave, unconcerned Slevin Kelevra working his way into trouble with the crime lords of New York. It’s no murderer in an elevator, but it’s a fine performance. The others are good too. Probably not Bruce Willis’s best performance.
Lucky Number Slevin is like Grosse Pointe Blank lite. It’s a tight script, often funny, exciting, about hitmen, and not often discussed, so easy to recommend. I say, “lite” because it’s nowhere near as good. But there is that scene where Bruce Willis jumps down an elevator shaft. No, that’s Die Hard. Well there is that scene where two gunmen duel in a convenient store while the cashier plays arcade games. No, that’s Grosse Pointe Blank. Well, at least there’s the scene where the roof explodes and Bruce Willis jumps off with a hose strapped to his waist. No, that’s Die Hard again. Well, it’s really good anyway. Watch it, if you haven’t watched it before, and you’ve already seen Grosse Pointe Blank and Die Hard.
They should have hired me to sell this thing back in ought six.