MAIN REVIEW:
This movie is dying at the box office with a take of only $14 million to date in spite of its roster of big name, Oscar winning stars like Morgan Freeman and Ben Kingsley. Contrast this 10 day take to that of "The Benchwarmers," which was roundly panned by the critics, but still went on to a 10 day take of almost $36 million dollars. This is two and one-half times the take of "Lucky Number Slevin." Even the derivative Antonio Banderas movie, "Take The Lead," a copy of last year's "Mad Hot Ballroom," has already taken in $22.6 million dollars during the same 10 day period.

The Weinstein Brothers, the producers of this film, are not usually off this much in their assessment of the market value of the films that they back and then release to the public. Fortunately they are also the studio behind "Scary Movie 4," which is cleaning up at the box office.

It is my humble opinion that most of the critics are being very unfair in their treatment of this film with their dismissive comments running along the lines of, "It's a weak retread of Quentin Tarantino's 'Pulp Fiction,' so what's the point?"

Well, my point would be that "Pulp Fiction" came out in 1994, 12 years ago, and a whole new generation of film fans have grown up since then. It would seem reasonable to me that a reintroduction of a smart movie with a convoluted plot would be entirely in order and a very desirable thing since we long suffering film fans have been inundated with retreads of schlock television shows and grade "B" movies for the last several years. Besides, no one was claiming that director Paul McGuigan is another Quentin Tarantino in the first place.

The most telling point of this mess is that on the RottenTomatoes.com web site, only one critic out of every two (50%) has recommended this movie. But on the very same web site the viewing public has strongly disagreed by giving it a much higher grade of 88%, which is to say that almost nine film fans out of 10 have recommended it. I'll go with the public on this one.

It is my opinion that the critics have gotten this wrong. Of course, it could also be argued that the public has gotten it wrong since the word of mouth has certainly not helped this movie to excel at the box office. While the critics have complained that the movie is not as smart as the Tarantino film, it is also possible that it is far too smart for most of the younger set who dominate the theater audiences lately.

So, whether you pick the Weinstein's inadequate promotional efforts, the nay saying critics, the lack of a positive word of mouth, or the general dumbing down of our popular culture, it would seem that there is more than enough blame to go around. This is a shame, for this film is far better than its weak box office take would suggest.

I enjoyed the movie, even though I found it a tad too violent for my tastes. That being said, the violence served the story, not subsumed it, so it wasn't there just for gratuitous effect. For this much, I was grateful.

I have always said that Morgan Freeman is just about one of the most charismatic actors working today. It is always a joy to see him on the screen, and here he gets to play the villain for a change. Ditto for Ben Kingsley as another actor's actor who quietly takes on a role and gives it such inner force and power.

I have seen very few movies which have starred Josh Hartnett, so it is interesting to see how he holds his own opposite Freeman and Kingsley as well as matching wits with Lucy Liu as the possible femme fatale. While she shows her softer, more supportive side, Liu is an actress similar to Freeman and Kingsley in that she exhibits a screen persona that commands your attention. In addition, there is something about her that warns you not to cross her path, for she exudes a sense of controlled danger like a tigress in her lair.

"Lucky Number Slevin" starts off way back in 1979 with a crooked veterinarian in a racing stable illegally juicing a nag named Lucky Number Slevin so that this very long shot will win the next day's race. Truth will out, and the trail starts with the hooker that he patronizes that night and then this hot tip is passed on to her pimp and so on.

The next day, Marty (Kevin Chamberlain), a young husband, kisses his pretty wife goodbye and leaves with his young son for a day at the ball park. But both know better as they rehearse the better plays of a game that neither will ever see. He is a gambling addict and he uses his son as his excuse to get out of the house and go to the nearby racetrack. His son loves his dad and he also loves the excitement at the racetrack.

Marty has received a hot tip about Lucky Number Slevin, so he goes to his bookie, Roth (Danny Aiello), and bets $20,000 on this horse to win. This is a huge bet that Roth is reluctant to take, so he drops the odds and lays off the bet on the two new crime bosses who have taken over the illegal gambling in the area.

Lucky Number Slevin leads all the way into the final stretch and Marty is ecstatic, cheering the horse on from the sidelines. Then the drug suddenly wears off and the nag collapses just feet from the finish line. Marty is crushed as he thought that this was to be a sure thing and, besides, he never had the $20,000 to begin with. His dreams for an easy life and respect from his wife go up in smoke.

It gets worse. You don't ever try to pull a con on a crime boss. The two new crime bosses hear that the horse was drugged without their knowledge, so everyone connected with this escapade is wiped out, including Marty and his entire family.

Flash forward to today and a young man with the odd name of Slevin Kalevra (Josh Hartnett) has come to town to stay at the apartment of a friend of a friend named Nick Fisher (Sam Jaeger), a man he has never met. Oddly enough, Nick is not there to meet him, but he crashes in his pad anyway.

Slevin is pleasantly surprised when a gorgeous Chinese woman from across the hall comes over to borrow some sugar. She introduces herself as Lindsey (Lucy Liu), and, yes, she really did need to borrow a cup of sugar. Sparks fly, but Slevin cools it for the moment.

His next set of visitors quickly prove to be not so welcome. Two Black ruffians, Elvis (Dorian Missick) and Sloe (Mykelti Williamson), barge in and rough him up before they tell him that "The Boss" wants to meet with him, Nick Fisher. Slevin's protestations that he is not Nick Fisher are about as well received as were the same protestations by Roger Thornhill (Cary Grant) in Hitchcock's classic 1959 caper, "North by Northwest," when he told his captors that he was not George Kaplan.

Slevin as Nick Fisher is hustled up to the roof top lair of "The Boss" (Morgan Freeman), who strongly suggests to him that it would be wise to take his offer as a trade for canceling out his stale $96,000 gambling debt which he is unable to repay. The Boss' offer, which Slevin as Nick obviously can't and won't be able to refuse, is for him to assassinate Yitzchok (Michael Rubenfeld), the gay son of "The Rabbi" (Ben Kingsley).

The Rabbi is a former partner in crime of "The Boss" with whom he has had a serious falling out, so serious that the two never speak to each other. They have warily and suspiciously eyed each other for years from their respective penthouses right across the street.

"The Boss" believes that The Rabbi has broken their unspoken truce not to take out any family members, since his beloved son was recently shot when he left the building. Now all bets are off.

What "The Boss" doesn't know is that Nick Fisher also owes "The Rabbi" $32,000, so he soon goes across the street to protect his hide by confessing the plot to the other crime boss.

And lurking unseen in the background is a strange man known as "Mr. Goodkat" (Bruce Willis), who seems to have some separate agenda of his own, but is clearly in the confidence of both crime bosses.

It is only natural to assume that these two crime bosses are under surveillance 24/7, and such is the case here in vans with dark windows and hidden cameras lined up and down the street outside the entrances to the two apartment buildings. The police detectives who are watching the comings and goings of everyone are under the command of Detective Brikowski (Stanley Tucci), an honest cop who is not above applying a little pressure of his own against this new guy who has been spied entering both apartment buildings. Who is he and what is he up to? Brikowski wants some answers and he wants them fast.

Hartnett is just fine as a likable guy who ends up in the wrong place at the wrong time in a case of mistaken identity where everyone incorrectly assumes that he is some poor schlepp known as Nick Fisher.

Slevin claims to have a disease of the nerves that prevents him from showing stress, a factor which irritates his captors and angers their thugs all the more since he mugs his way through the inevitable Q & A sessions with a wry smile and a series of wisecracks. This guy can't do anything right and he ends up being bloodied far more than necessary by the goons who observe that he is not evincing the proper respect and compliance.

I also have to credit Bruce Willis for taking a supporting role in this film. Willis has had some problems lately with his selection of films, but here he is just perfect as the shadowy Mr. Goodkat.

"Lucky Number Slevin" may not be the best movie of the genre, but it is smart and twisted and well cast with some of the best and most interesting stars in the business.

A movie review by Carl Zapffe (04/23/06)