World Class Acting

Rating: 10/10 (26 May 2006)

Josh Hartnett and Bruce Willis are probably the most under rated actors today. In this film, Bruce is a "world class assassin," who becomes involved with Josh originally as a "specialist" hired to kill Josh 20 years ago, when Josh was about 7 years old. Josh is the son of a man murdered by a new gang in New York City, which exacts revenge from a "sure bet" that his father makes that he cannot repay. So, Josh's father is killed along with Josh's mother and even the losing horse, "Lucky Number Slevin." Bruce, or "Goodcat" could not bring himself to commit the murder, though. So, he adopts Josh and gives him the name "Slevin Klevera," alias "Baddog." Evidently, Josh is trained in assassination by his adopted father. Meanwhile, the gang splits between two leaders, the "Boss" living in one high rise building opposite another high rise building, in which the other gang leader named "Rabbi" exists behind security cameras and bulletproof windows. Bruce and Josh, suddenly appear 20 years later to exact revenge. It seems that also gangsters sow what they reap. Bruce is believable as a cold-hearted hit man. And, Josh is charming and sexy, as he spends the first 30 minutes of the film with only a towel covering his fine, slim body. There is explicit violence, including several gruesome murders, of course. And, the corrupting brutality of the gangster oligarchy in New York City is vividly laid bare as a continuing challenge to law enforcement and justice in that vast and complicated urban center.