Lucky Number Slevin in Blu-ray: A Lucky Buy

Studio: Entertainment in Video
Starring: Josh Hartnett (Sin City, Pearl Harbor) as Slevin, Bruce Willis (Live Free or Die Hard, Armageddon) as Mr. Goodkat, Lucy Liu (Payback, Kill Bill) as Linsey, Morgan Freeman (Shawshank Redemption, Se7en) as The Boss, Sir Ben Kingsley (Gandhi, Schindler’s List) as The Rabbi, Stanley Tucci (The Core, The Devil Wears Prada) as Brikowski
Directed By: Paul McGuigan (Gangster No. 1, The Acid House)

The Story
They say bad luck runs in 3’s. Well, someone should have told Slevin (Hartnett) that. First, he loses his job. Then, he finds out his apartment has been condemned because of Ecuadorian super termites. He then catches his girlfriend playing hide the salami with another guy, and finally, moments after arriving in New York, gets mugged.

Just when he thinks things cannot get any worse, they do. He is mistaken for someone else, someone who owes two rival gangsters a lot of money. He is caught between a bitter war between The Boss (Freeman) and The Rabbi (Kingsley). In lieu of payment, The Boss orders him to kill The Rabbi’s gay son in retaliation for the slaying of his own son the day before.

Things start to get very messy for Slevin as he is caught between the two mob bosses, all the while being watched by cop Brikowski (Tucci), top hitman Mr. Goodkat (Willis), and helped by feisty neighbour, Linsey (Liu). With her help, he decides to hatch his own plan in an attempt to stay one step ahead of the mobsters. Is he up to the task?

When I saw this on DVD about 2 years ago, I fell in love with this quirky movie straight away. It was fresh and invigorating. The cast seemed to really revel in their roles. I especially loved the chemistry between Hartnett and Liu – they really seemed to gel well together.

As always, Willis was superb in his usual laconic way. Freeman is fantastic as The Boss, playing him in his usual cool way. I love the way Kingsley played The Rabbi, the way he mixes deep religious beliefs with a willingness to kill to get what he wants – power.

The story is often very brutal, but was never overly so. The end had a superb twist as the story comes full circle. Lucky Number Slevin is ultimately a story of retribution, and is done extremely well. My score: 9/10.

The Visuals
I had heard a few mixed reviews about the visuals in this movie. It had a filtered look, and some said it appeared quite flat. Well, I say, cobblers. This is one fine looking movie.

Skin tones are spot on, close-up detail is superb (you can see every pore, every line, and every freckle on Morgan Freeman’s face). The early morning shots looked superb. Distant detail was again excellent, as were the black levels. Look at The Boss’s jacket – the detailing is awesome.

The copious blood looks shockingly real. Colours are natural and vibrant throughout this movie. It looked super on my Sony Bravia. If you buy this title, you will SO NOT be disappointed, believe me. I am happy to give this movie a 9/10. Well done.

The Audio
Lucky Number Slevin has only one audio option, and this is dts HD Master audio. It is a very good mix. This is a dialog-driven piece, so there are no loud explosions. Although, the frequent gunshots sounded loud and convincing. Dialogue comes thru loud and clear. My score: 8.5/10.

The Extras
There’s not a lot on this Blu-ray. Gone are the deleted scenes and alternative ending that were on the HD-DVD. What we have are 2 audio commentaries, the first by director Paul McGuigan, and the second by cast members. There’s also a 13-minute making of the film, which features chats with various cast and crew. My score: 3/10.

Overall Impact
This is a very clever movie that, as Sir Ben Kingsley states, “doesn’t treat its viewers like complete idiots.” I love the chemistry between Slevin and Linsey, the utter ruthlessness of The Boss and The Rabbi, and the way Goodkat seems to just slide in everywhere. But most of all, I loved the twist in the tale.

Blu-ray disc-wise, the audio and video are fantastic. The extras are a bit thin, but overall, this is highly recommended. I’m sure it will be out Stateside in a matter of time, but if you can’t wait till then, get it now. My score: 8.5/10.

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