Hunters become the Hunted

Nothing is as it seems…

Produced in 2006.
Director: Paul McGuigan
Language: English
Actors: Josh Hartnett (Slevin Kalevra), Morgan Freeman (The Boss), Sir Ben Kingsley (The Rabbi), Lucy Liu (Girl Next Door), Stanley Tucci (Detective Brikowski), and Bruce Willis (Mr. Goodkat).

The Thriller Lucky Number Slevin is an exciting movie were because of a confusion between the main character Slevin Kalevra (Josh Hartnett) and his friend Nick Fisher (who always seems to have one foot in the ground), Slevin finds himself between the most infamous crime bosses: The Rabbi (Ben Kingsley) and the Boss (Morgan Freeman). Not only does Slevin have to fight his way out there but also must be careful because he is being followed by Detective Brikowski (Stanley Tucci) and the legendary assassin Goodkat (Bruce Willis). It is not until very late that the cat becomes the mouse and that’s when everything is turned upside down.

I think that this movie is one of the best thrillers made because everything is so well planned out and connected. 105 minutes of pure action keep you on the edge of your seat and take you into the story of Slevin. I loved how Josh Hartnett made all the emotions seem so real and I believe anyone would congratulate him for it. Josh also showed his dark under current and not to forget his very good looks. Slevin’s struggles, fighting back, and pure intelligence make you adore this suspenseful legend. Not only does his big mouth keep him in trouble but it also makes you laugh. I think that this is a very dynamic and lively tale, which just shows how small the world is. This is also one of those films were at the end you can’t believe how clever it is set up. It is just one of those perfect crime shows which leads you on a wild goose chase.

The plot is very clear even though it leaves clues all over the place the yarn still keeps its mystery. I encourage children under 13 not to watch Lucky Number Slevin because of its violence but for an adult and teenager it is just right. It is just like Alan Frank from the Daily Star said,” Utterly Unmissable. 10 out of 10.” I totally agree for this thriller lays out how much unfairness and revenge there is in the world.

One of the main emotions shown is vengeance. For the once tied crime bosses split up and now have started a raging war across town. They lock themselves up into skyscrapers across each other and try everything to make the other fall. Because of their fighting both lose many important people in their life causing a killing atmosphere. Another strong emotion is love. Love between Slevin and his family make this movie take form and it all plays back to one day, to one pure brutal act.

One thing which marks Slevin is when he says, “I’m just a guy who is in the wrong place at the wrong time.” This displays his character and actions for he has loads of bad luck. If it wouldn’t be such a Tom & Jerry game between him and the two crime bosses he would probably have other problems with his terrible fate.

The lighting in this suspenseful story is very good and the setting always fits with the mood, such as a bright cheerful room when the Girl next door comes in (Lucy Liu) or a darker room when the boss comes along. The music is also remarkable because one can relate to the feelings of the scene. Even though the songs in Lucky Number Slevin were not extra written for it, it still all fits to the scenes. One famous song, which has a very meaningful role, is the Kansas City Shuffle by JR where you look left; they go right; to the Kansas City Shuffle.

One very cute thing Slevin says is, “I think I caught a pigtail.” Meaning I think someone is following me such as the cops. Another thing which is very noticeable is the fact that Detective Brikowski is always fuming and trying very hard from not letting a gang war break out between the Boss and the Rabbi.

Many may say that this tale strips the world down to it bad sides and makes you wonder how strongly horrific humanity is. Another thing Slevin declares is, “People are connected by the slightest of events.” Of course through his fight he finds his only love but peace doesn’t fill Slevin until each and every one of them dies who destroyed his life. Many may say this murder secrecy has a very violent side or like my father says, “Too much loathing in ones heart can cause people to fall like flies.” But I still encourage you to watch this movie for even after you have finished watching, it will still be playing around in your mind. For one thing that this fairy-tale makes you ask is how long does the feeling for punishing someone last? And how far would you go to revenge everything you ever loved?