The Boss, The Rabbi & The Fairy

If you haven't see The Usual Suspects, rush right out and rent it, its one of my favorites and definitely a 10/10, IHMO. While there is much to like about the film, what I enjoyed the most was the cleverly written story and end-over-end plot flip at the close. Those kind of plots are the best for me since I then have to retrofit a new reality back through the rest of film to make sense out of the whole story.


Lucky Number Slevin has elements of The Usual Suspects, which is why I liked it, but it is not nearly as strong of a film.

Slevin (Hartnett) is mistaken for someone else, and that someone is wanted by the mob. Actually he is wanted by two mob families; one headed by The Boss (Freeman) and the other headed by The Rabbi (Kingsley). Each puts Slevin in a difficult position, a position which has him crossing the path of Mr. Goodkat (Willis), a ruthless ghost of a hit man.

The acting is very good, particularly from Willis and Hartnett. Willis just seems natural in these quirky roles with a hint of violence. I had never heard of Josh Harnett before but he gave an impressive performance and anchored the rest of the cast.

Production and direction are slick and seamless, each scene giving you more than enough detail to hold your attention before segueing to the next plot wrinkle. Each wrinkle that unfolds casts doubt on previously assumed truths. The truth unfolds in the last two scenes in a way I didn't see coming. Very nice twists and completely entertaining.

Fair warning: this is a kinda violent film. Oh, and as for The Fairy part, you'll just have to watch and figure that one out for yourself :)

8.5/10

Lucky Number Slevin