Unlucky at the Races

Rating: 6/10 (1 February 2010)

Directed by Paul McGuigan and, "Set in the New York underworld, where nothing is as it seems," according to the studio's official description, "When down-on-his-luck Slevin (Josh Hartnett) stumbles into a running feud between the city's most feared crime bosses (Morgan Freeman and Ben Kingsley), he ignites an all-out war. Tracked by a mysterious assassin (Bruce Willis) and distracted by his flirtatious neighbor (Lucy Liu), Slevin must try to cheat death by turning the tables on the gangsters."
Here is a violent avenging gangsters-type drama, done in the non-linear style.
Comparing itself (in promotional materials) to "Pulp Fiction", "The Usual Suspects", and "North by Northwest"; this is a well written and produced film, which seeks to be much more than a copy. And, it almost works. Nicely shot, and creatively pieced together, the main revelation is satisfying; but, the film overextends with additional tricky contrivances. Admirers of Mr. Hartnett's sexy physique will enjoy seeing him spend much time wearing only a towel. Mr. Willis performs most exceptionally.
****** Lucky Number Slevin (2/24/06) Paul McGuigan ~ Josh Hartnett, Bruce Willis, Lucy Liu, Morgan Freeman