Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #2558 in DVD
• Released on: 2006-07-10
• Rating: Suitable for 18 years and over
• Format: PAL
• Original language: English
• Number of discs: 1
• Running time: 109 minutes

Amazon.co.uk Review
How boring it is to label a movie Tarantino-esque anymore. The thing is, when it comes to an offering like Lucky Number Slevin, the shoe fits, and the result is anything but boring. Gruesome killings, arid wit, self-reflexive pop culture references, an A-list cast, and style-heavy production values abound, which gives the proceedings an epoxy bond that seals the Q.T. homage factor. Josh Hartnett--who spends a lot of buffed-up time with his shirt off--is Slevin Kelevra, a hapless fellow visiting his New York friend Nick. But Nick has disappeared, which sets off a mistaken-identity thrill ride when two goons grab Slevin (he's in Nick's apartment so he must be Nick) and take him to their crime lord boss, the Boss (Morgan Freeman). The Boss doesn't care about Slevin's wrong-man protests; he just wants the $96,000 Nick owes him. In one of many offers he can't refuse, Slevin has to agree to murder the son of the Boss's felonious arch rival, the Rabbi (Ben Kingsley) or take the bullet himself. But Slevin turns out to be no ordinary patsy. Thrown into the ingeniously designed production, clever plot twists, and academic nods to Bond, Hitchcock, and obscure old cartoons are Lucy Liu as a sexy coroner, Stanley Tucci as an obsessed cop, and Bruce Willis as a wily hit man with his finger in many pots. With so much visual and narrative trickery, there's almost too much to absorb in one viewing of this convoluted jigsaw puzzle of revenge and entertaining mayhem. Lucky Number Slevin isn't quite up to par with similarly brainy thrillers like Memento and The Usual Suspects, but the prospect of seeing it again in order to get your bearings is just as appealing.--Ted Fry

Synopsis
Directed by Paul McGuigan, LUCKY NUMBER SLEVIN is a mistaken identity thriller, starring Josh Hartnett as a guy who ends up in the wrong place at the wrong time. With boldly coloured sets covered in graphic wallpaper, the film has an almost comic book feel, the emphasis being on visual entertainment rather than believability. When wise-guy Slevin (Hartnett) shows up at his friend Nick's apartment in Manhattan, Nick is nowhere to be found. After meeting Nick's sharp and flirty neighbour, Lindsey (Lucy Liu), Slevin is kidnapped by two thugs and taken to meet the Boss (Morgan Freeman). Explaining that he is in fact not Nick, gets him nowhere, as the Boss and his arch rival, the Rabbi (Ben Kingsley), both pull Slevin deeper and deeper into a complicated underworld of murder and revenge. The clever dialogue and romance that grows between Hartnett and Liu, gives the film a light-hearted charm and even when orchestrating cold-blooded murder, the film's lead villains, never seem too threatening. This is due in large, to the strong tongue-in-cheek performances of Bruce Willis, Ben Kingsley, and Morgan Freeman. Many of the plot's twists rely on camera tricks and quick editing, which are used to deliberately confuse the viewer. While the storyline is convoluted and the film falls into a self-explanatory trap near the end, the world of LUCKY NUMBER SLEVIN, must never be taken too seriously. Displaying a Tarantino-like self-awareness, the film makes frequent references to James Bond and vintage cinema, and contains such strong visual elements that viewers are forced to notice each character's surroundings. The film is incredibly stylish and old-fashioned in this way, and with particular attention paid to each villain's dwelling, the production design often says more than the characters themselves.

Customer Reviews

Surprisingly Good Film
I was quite surprised when I watched this film - why? - well I wasn't expecting what I got.

I watched a well thought out and gripping film. It's a long time since I sat down and watched a dvd all the way through, without moving from my chair.

It is quietly played (rather than the usual bang, loud and in your face style that you usually get these days) by Josh Hartnett (proving that he's not just a bit of eye candy for the girlies in his underplayed lead character "Slevin"); Bruce Willis (who showed that he is more than "Die Hard"), Morgan Freeman (sorry but I've always found him a bit on the wooden side, but he's not that bad in this), Ben Kingsley (I've still not forgiven him for the Americanised Thunderbirds film). It would have been so easy for these roles to be overplayed but their not, with one exception ... I found the Lucy Liu acting for the character of Lindsley over cooked and very hammy.

The story plays out nicely at a good steady pace, and it held me throughout.

The only down side to the film in my point of view is Lucy Liu (I realise that men have to have their totty to look at but the scenes that appeared in seemed to be the only real disappointment, the only bits that seem to drag-on a little and unnecessarily slow the story down and the character was overplayed and irritating).

The down point to the dvd is again the very, very poor amount of extras (2 of them - the making of and a trailer).

Once again region 2 equals second class citizens in the dvd world. Normally I would have reduced the stars given but the film was very good and doesn't deserve the downgrade.

I enjoyed it ... if you're unsure rent it or borrow it from a friend and give it a try. I'm glad I bought it.

Easy Viewing-A Condensed Guilty Pleasure!!
This film has sadly not been well received by everyone, who seem to be under the impression that this is a poor man's Pulp Fiction or Guy Richie movie. It certainly is a gangster flick, but it is a light weight one, packed with humour and sassy one liners.
Pulp Fiction-in my opinion-was over hyped pretentious drivel, that thought itself nihilistic and hip-and true, so does this film, but at no point does it attempt to take itself seriously, like Tarintino movies.
There is not much point re-iterating the plot line, but it is just a film about mistaken identidy, that has more twists and turns than the motorway traffic during a football game. Some you can see a mile off, but my hint is-don't try and guess, just sit back...feet up...drink in hand...and watch, with a sigh of relief.
If you are one of those pop culture boffins then you may feel you have a right to be scathingly critical about this film. But the truth is that it is a mild mannered and creatively derranged gangster flick-not in the same vein as 'hardcore gangster' movies.
Josh Harrent is a bit of an iffy lead, but combined with such a strong cast, and the forever sexy Lucy Lui, there is not much to dislike.
If a gun was pressed against my head, i would admitt that it really is a three star film, but it so enjoyable, to hell with it. I am unashamedly giving this guilty pleasure four stars.

"Wrong Time. Wrong Place. Wrong Number"
What happens if you are in the wrong place, at the wrong time? "Lucky number Slevin" gives you a hint of that. Bear in mind, though, that appearences are not everything...

The main character is Slevin (Josh Hartnett), who visits his friend Nick, and falls into the middle of a war between to mob bosses. Those mob bosses, The Rabbi (Ben Kingsley) and The Boss (Morgan Freeman), decide to use Nick to kill each other. The problem is, Nick has disappeared, and The Rabbi and The Boss think that Slevin is Nick. Now Slevin must decide what to do, taking into account that he has only a short amount of time to decide, and that he is being watched not only by the police and the criminals, but also by Goodkat (Bruce Willis), a notorious assassin. What will he do? And will he be able to keep himself and Nick's beautiful neighbour (Lucy Liu) alive?

On the whole, I think that you will like this movie, if you are looking for something entertaining that will not make you think you too much, and provided you don't mind the fact that there are many violent scenes. "Lucky Number Slevin" is not perfect, but has an hectic pace, many twists, and the kind of ending that will surprise you. Recommended!

Belen Alcat