"Besides, you can't have a Kansas City shuffle without a body."

Rating: 9/10 (17 April 2006)

Maybe fun is not entirely the correct word to describe my viewing experience for this film, but I have to say that watching it was a blast. With only the odd trailer or two and some IMDb viewer comments to go by prior to seeing the movie, I was prepared for a more typical kind of 'mistaken identity' film. That gimmick usually works against the protagonist, but this time around it's the title character Slevin that's creating the smoke and mirrors. Come to think of it, maybe even the promotional clips were intentionally in on the ruse; all seemed to suggest Bruce Willis as the lead character.
So successful was the movie in laying the groundwork for the first major plot twist, that when it happened, I literally sat up and said to myself - "Slevin really killed Yitzchok - What's that all about!" From that point on it was a different movie, with Slevin's complete change of character and a juggling act to figure out if Goodkat would complete his contract with the Rabbi.
All of the films's principal characters turned in not only credible, but outstanding performances. The surprise characterization might have been that of Lucy Liu as next door neighbor/coroner Lindsey. By the time we get that far in the film, I was already hedging my bets against her 'hit' by Goodkat, so the surprise was going to be how Slevin would square it with his partner. Pretty much all he had to do was ask, but the way it played out allowed Willis' character to provide his own job reference - "I'm a world class assassin f......d. How do you think I found out?"
Along with "Inside Man", 2006 has already provided a strong early dose of exceptional caper films, so if that's your pleasure, I would recommend both highly. A word of advice though, they're probably best viewed without trying to solve them with the action still rolling. The fun isn't so much in the destination, but the ride that gets you there.