Lucky Number Slevin—Weinstein

Video: 4
Audio: 4
Extras: 3

Imagine you’ve just fallen into some bad luck, and suddenly the city’s two biggest crime bosses are looking for you. By the way, they’re also at war with each other. Not only do they each claim that you owe them obscenely large amounts of money, they decide you’re going to pay them back in a most unexpected way. Slevin Kelevra (Josh Harnett) finds himself in one such dilemma, but his misfortune is really a case of mistaken identity. The real twist, however, is who gets the payback.

It doesn’t take long to see that this is a highly stylized film, reminiscent of the 1960s. The 2.35:1 anamorphic transfer exhibits impeccable color and clarity. You won’t be taking much of a gamble with the Dolby Digital 5.1 soundtrack, either. But don’t expect your speakers to get much of a workout; Slevin is dialogue heavy. Nevertheless, the audio does the film justice. Special features include a behind-the-scenes featurette, a director’s still gallery, deleted scenes, an alternate ending, and two commentary tracks.

With an impressive roster of formidable talent, including Morgan Freeman and Ben Kingsley, Hartnett certainly finds himself in good company. And Lucy Liu couldn’t have picked a better role after hanging up her Kill Bill katana. The film also has a great voice behind it, featuring the witty writing of Jason Smilovic. While it wasn’t widely embraced by moviegoers and critics, the constant suspense and twist at the end makes Lucky Number Slevin a safe bet. It’s definitely a prized possession on my shelf.

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