Lucky Number Slevin
- In theaters April 7th 2006
- Rated R for strong violence, sexuality and
language
- Matt's rating - 3.5 out of 5
- Cindy's rating - 3 out of 5
COMPLETE REVIEW BELOW
Remember you can subscribe to The Mungles on
Movies weekly audio podcast and have it downloaded
straight to your computer each week. More info at
the bottom of the page!
Sir Ben Kingsley and Morgan Freeman as gangsters?
That is enough reason right there to see a flick. Add
to that Bruce Willis as a hit man, Josh Hartnett as a
fast talking middleman, Stanley Tucci as a relentless
detective and Lucy Liu as the neighbor in search of a
mystery and what you have is a very fast paced,
clever drama that is a cool ride.
In a case of mistaken identity Slevin (Josh Hartnett)
has been asked to meet "The Boss" (Freeman) who
wants him to help fulfill a vendetta against a rival
gangster, "The Rabbi" (Kingsley). Slevin has no idea
why he has been thrown into this situation so he
begins to play one side against the other as he tries
to stay alive long enough to figure out the whys. An
assassin by the name of Mr. Goodkat (Willis) is the
hired hit man brought in to make sure everything
goes as planned.
I had a blast at this movie. What's hip about Slevin is
that you never truly know who's who or what is going
on. Yet it's easy to follow without ever giving
anything away. The writing is total tongue in cheek
providing the characters with quick banter that is
hard and fast. Each role is unique and well defined. In
a movie like this it is always helpful to have elements
that set it a part from all the others. This film stood
out to me. There was something simple about it but
at the same time it was catchy. Like the following
exchange between Slevin and Lindsey (Lucy Liu)
Willis is on a marathon pace after his better than
average performance in 16 Blocks plus setting a run
for the May release of Over the Hedge. He wears the
assassin hat well and I mean, come on, Mr. Goodkat
is just a cool name. Surprisingly Hartnett, who I
usually can do without, makes me enjoy him in this
one. Having two quiet, reserved men of composure
like Freeman and Kingsley playing mob bosses
intrigued me. It added a sophistication and maturity
to the entire project. And let's not forget Lucy Liu
who always comes in under the comedic radar but
she has a style of delivery and expression that is top
notch and often overlooked.
If you have seen any of the trailers you have caught
some of the snappy dialogue but there is still plenty
of wit to get you through the 109 minutes of film. My
wife Cindy commented, and I quote, "The wit was
overdone, it would be like going to work one day and
everybody is witty." And granted all the people in the
movie who stay alive for any length of time have
pretty quick-thinking verbal skills. I see her point but
I personally have no problem with that. Also I
appreciated the element of surprise. Maybe I am just
clueless but I was guessing the entire time. In the
world of crime dramas, that's not a bad deal.
Slevin is rated R for strong violence, sexuality and
language. This is a mobster movie and so the
language is as expected. If you are offended by
blood, blasphemy or bad guys then this isn't for you.
Granted it's no Inside man but if you want a decent
movie with action humor and twists you will find
yourself lucky. I give it 3.5 out of 5 stars. With a look
at Slevin, I'm Matt Mungle
Listen to The Mungles on Movies.................................
Listen to The Mungles audio review for this week
which includes new theater and DVD releases. Listen
on-line or have it delivered to your iTunes weekly.
The Mungles on Movies ........................
The Mungles are Podcasting's original husband and
wife film critics. Tune in each week as they fill you in
on what's new in the movie world with reviews and
commentaries you can relate to. It's totally live and
unscripted and many times quite opinionated.
Remember, they watch crap so you
don't have to!
|
Mungleshow Productions
Matt Mungle
|
|
