Where righting a wrong could mean doing wrong, even when you're right

Rating: 6/10 (19 May 2007)

Is this a thrilling comedy or a comedic thriller?
There's a good cast here, with Freeman, Kingsley, Tucci and Willis doing their thing and in their usually competent manner. And, there's Josh Hartnett (whom I'd seen before in Black Hawk Down and Sin City) who takes on the role of Slevin  the wrong man in this narrative.
Which is -- when all I said and done  a pure spoof of the gangster/crime genre and can be reviewed sensibly only from that perspective. But, it's not as bad or as good (depending upon your own point of view) as those spoofs that Leslie Nielsen (The Naked Gun etc) does in his sleep, practically.
Quite simply, the story is stupendously stupid but, along the way, there are some very witty lines, some delicious ironic twists, and the usual run of bloody murders. So, it's all a lot of "good" fun, despite the rising body count and the almost total amorality of the characters  the exception being Lindsey (Lucy Liu) who tags along with Slevin and his problems. However, take away the comedy, change the narrative slightly, and you'd have a viable comparison to other recent gangster movies -- e.g. The Departed (2006), for one -- and a film noir contender. What a pity it wasn't done that way; it would have been a more gripping and more believable story  instead of a black comedy that was trying to be serious.
Hence, as presented, the story is simply a framework upon which to hang different traps, pitfalls, and surprises for the delight (or frustration) of most viewers. Frankly, I nearly fell asleep in the first forty minutes (well, it was very late at night too, when I watched this one) and only perked up when the first surprise popped up. Sorry  can't say what it is, because that would spoil it for you, and the rest of the story. Bummer, huh?
The production is slick  but I think it was done on the cheap (no crashed cars, trains, planes, etc and a minimum of sets)  the filming is competent, but the editing is a bit jerky. I loved the dialog, the verbal jousting, the innuendo and the lies that keep you guessing  or just totally confused. Whatever...
Is it worth watching? Yes, simply to see how a lot of good actors make a bundle of money having a lot of fun. And, you might have a bit of fun along the way also.