Starting off with a bang, literally, Lucky Number Slevin is an exciting, action-packed, mind-bending cocktail of genres which leaves you guessing and breathless from the first shot out of the barrel.

In a vacant parking structure, a man is suddenly and gruesomely shot dead near his car by a barely seen assassin. Then, within hazy visuals, Josh Harnett (Slevin) calls a buddy to inform him about murky flight arrival plans. And from there, Lucky Number Slevin takes off like a non-stop 757 with infectiously dazzling glee.

First, a shadowy killer skillfully and brutally takes out two high-level bookies/accountant types with a flair that would make John Woo and Luc Besson proud. Secondly, the film shifts gears to 1979, making a short stop within a nicely revealed flashback about a sure-bet horse race that goes devastatingly sour.

All these elements rock and roll, molding you to expect the unexpected right away.

Without hesitating for gas, the film hits the octane. A battle between two big city gangsters, The Rabbi (Sir Ben Kingsley) and The Boss (Morgan Freeman), trapped within their own violent throes, almost in a wickedly cartoon-like way, spins perilously out of control. Wonderfully played by Freeman and Kingsley, each channels their inner Street Smart/Sexy Beast, bad guy mode.

Even though both are detestable men, each actor keeps the classy gravities we’ve come to expect and revel in.

It’s here that Slevin arrives at his friends’ empty apartment and when his friend Nick‘s cute, inquisitive neighbor Lindsey (Lucy Liu) stumbles upon him half-naked, it begins a chain of events resulting in a mistaken identity situation where those two warring mobsters snatch up and threaten Slevin with his life if he doesn’t pay a $129,000 debt. Obviously Nick, his supposed buddy, owes the gambling debt and has left him in the lurch, right? It doesn’t matter that Slevin hilariously yet unsuccessfully tries to plead his innocence in the crazed, quickly escalating matter.

Understandably when offered little choice, Slevin readily settles into the unenviable role as pawn in the irascible kingpins' insalubrious chess match.

In the course of fulfilling the explicit orders of each mobster, Slevin becomes both hunter and hunted as he works to slip ingeniously away from the violent state of affairs, slyly masking his ulterior motives and true intent. At least he has the help of the charming, budding relationship with Lindsey, a fellow sleuth in the mystery.

Slevin also becomes a useful tool for the embattled Detective Brikowski (Stanley Tucci) who is enraged by his forces’ inability to bring down the slick crime lords. Not to mention Slevin being at the mercy of a figure, best left unknown, who has the ear of both crime kingpins.

Ever notice how mistaken identity ably slides us into any nefarious plotline?

And see if you can add up all the genre elements Lucky Number Slevin exhibits: romantic comedy - screwball comedy - gangster/crime story - mistaken identity/whodunit mystery/investigation - revenge thriller, and finally, confidence shell game.

Like many a film fan, I’m a sucker for pop culture or film references within films, and Lucky doesn’t disappoint with alludes to Bond flicks, Columbo (the television show), North by Northwest and 1970’s kitsch. In some ways I felt aspects of Manhattan Murder Mystery, Confidence, and many a crime story, including the dialogue and deadpan black humor of, dare I say, Quentin Tarantino and Guy Ritchie. Although familiar, it by no means usurped the daringly original feel of it all.

I probably haven’t giggled this much since Election had my face literally aching in pain from excessive laughter. And I especially enjoyed seeing NYC feature prominently here, although, as was later revealed, most of the production took place in Montreal, not the Big Apple, except for the necessary establishing shots.

Harnett is the glue holding everything together, demonstrating his mettle and moxie in this most versatile, and possibly his best role to date. Slevin’s care free and friendly demeanor makes you wonder how the hell he’s going to make it out alive. And Lucy Liu unexpectedly shines, showing range as the endearing, bubbly neighbor. In a quietly effective role, Bruce Willis adds another feather to his cap as the ubiquitous hitman Goodkat.

And I advise you not to over analyze because the entire story seems to be ready to fall apart, awash in its own smug inventiveness. But it never truly does. The humor, situations, and the proficient ensemble vanquishes the more implausible and improbable moments.

The violence, like two early sex scenes, is expeditious, raw, and emotive.

After the screening, McGuigan (The Reckoning, Gangster No. 1, Wicker Park) stressed his working class Scottish roots, coming across as more matter-of fact than any filmmaker I‘ve met yet. McGuigan made his name in the magazine stills photography world, and is credited with discovering Kate Moss according to McGuigan. A filmmaker whose prior work exposes a keen sense of the off-kilter story, McGuigan also acknowledged his indebtedness to the spec script’s ability to attract the talented ensemble on the screen. He shows himself (as well as screenwriter Jason Smilovic) as an immense talent when working with the right material.

Working with Josh Harnett here again after Wicker Park, his vision is concise and exciting, his ideas continually fresh, as McGuigan’s acumen shows itself in the distinct production design, the nonlinear structure, and the gritty, active yet unpretentiously flashy camera work. Director of Photography Peter Sova and Editor Andrew Hulme certainly deserve praise here.

All this infused synergy alternately connects and disconnects us viewers. With the twists and turns, it’s a film where being less informed helps the surprise factor of the compelling clues. This is why I will leave things best left unsaid in hope that you retain the unencumbered freshness I experienced.

And luckily for us enraptured viewers, we now blissfully have Lucky Number Slevin to thank for adding “Kansas City shuffle” into our cinematic lexicon.

© Julian Boyance, completed March 27th, 2006