Not as clever or as stylish as it thinks it is.

Rating: 5/10 (15 August 2006)

This makers of this film really wish it was Pulp Fiction. They've tried to emulate Quentin Tarantino's non-linear story telling, his staccato rapid-fire dialogue and his offbeat characters...hell, they've even got Butch on board, with old Bruce playing a Tarantinoesque assassin. What they haven't got, though, is the ability to take all of these ingredients and whip up a feast for the eyes and ears the way old QT can.
Writer Jason Smilovic's best moments don't even rival QT's worst, and the overcomplicated plot isn't half as clever or as slick as Smilovic obviously thinks it is: a case of mistaken identity lands Slevin (played by Brad Pitt-alike Josh Hartnett) in the middle of a gang war waged by two crime lords, The Boss and The Rabbi. Slevin must use his wits (and the help of a feisty neighbour, played by Lucy Liu) to ensure his survival.
What Smilovic obviously thinks is witty and clever, sounds stale and hackneyed, and Paul McGuigan matches the writing perfectly with a half-assed attempt at 'stylish' direction, in which he incorporates every contemporary (and overused) trick in the book. A great cast, which includes Morgan Freeman, Ben Kingsley and Stanley Tucci, struggle to make the script work, but even they can't save this wannabe from being anything other than average.