An amusing black comedy, but lacking in depth

Rating: 5/10 (17 November 2006)

An amusing black comedy which more-or-less works as a lightly entertaining caper film, but fails as the grifter/sting film it promised to be. Fair performances -- slightly overacted for comedy -- were turned in by a cast of exceptional talent, while the (sometimes far-fetched) dialog is often amusing.
One weakness is that the principle antagonists are painted more as comic villains, making some of the violence difficult to emotionally justify, and thus seeming heavy handed (although the film is not very bloodthirsty by today's standards.)
However as a convoluted sting caper, it fails to deliver. There is the appearance of multiple wheels in motion, cunning legerdemain, the seeming of a clever puzzle unfolding. From the opening scenes in a transit lounge and Nick's apartment, alert viewers will be rewarded for the effort of trying to piece the clues together. But if you try to digest it like a le Carré spy game or a Lawrence Block grift, it falls to pieces.
MAJOR SPOILERS BELOW
With thinking cap on, you may quickly realise that Slevin is lying about nearly everything, then soon realise he is in cahoots with Goodkat, and soon their object becomes evident. I confess that I missed the clue on motive (Slevin asks the Boss "how many times can you kill me?") and had to wait until the director spelled it out. But that was because quite a bit of the plot didn't really fit. e.g.:
1. Introducing Slevin to the Rabbi as Nick was supposed to lower his guard. But the request was so odd his spider sense should be twitching like electroshock therapy. He even realises Slevin is an impostor. Then inexplicably, he just starts trusting Slevin.
2. Getting the Boss to coerce Slevin is supposedly so that Slevin can come and go. But he never needs to until after Goodkat captured the Boss by force.
3. There is a complicated plan to do with convincing the Boss that Slevin has been killed by Goodkat. Much of this plan is totally confusing until one realises that Slevin and Goodkat have been forced to modify their plan because of Lindsey. Even so, large chunks of it remain seriously illogical and unnecessary to their aim, so I conclude that they killed two innocent people for no reason.
I have a dozen more, but this is already too long...
Oh, one final thing. Recall that in Nick's apartment at the start, Slevin told Lindsey that he wasn't worried because he had ataraxia  "a condition characterized by freedom from worry or any other preoccupation". In fact ataraxia is not a medical condition, it is a term from Greek philosophy which is often translated as "the consolation of philosophy"; he is saying that he is calm because he is now fully resolved and prepared to undertake his plan, come what may. It is one of a host of clues he gives in the apartment.