“Lucky Number Slevin” riffs heavily on Hitchcockian plot twists and James Bond-style violence, but it’s to Quentin Tarrantino and his gang of smooth-talking criminals that “Slevin” owes the most, and it’s a deep debt indeed. Tarrantino, Guy Ritchie and the rest of the noir auteurs of the late 1990s made sure to infuse their criminal capers with a few smiles along with the fisticuffs and the firefights. “Slevin” makes a similar attempt, but even though all the pieces are in place, it all feels slightly off.

Slevin (Josh Hartnett), suffering from a string of misfortunes, crashes at his friend Nick’s pad. Immediately, two things happen that will change his life. First, he meets Lindsey (Lucy Liu), the bubbly ingénue who lives across the hall. Second, and most important, he’s mistaken for Nick and sucked into New York’s criminal underworld, which is controlled by two rival bosses: the Rabbi (Ben Kingsley) and the Boss (Morgan Freeman). Nick owes both kingpins a hefty sum, so it’s up to Slevin to pay the debt. A bad enough situation, to be sure, but the Boss tells Slevin to kill the Rabbi’s son, while the Rabbi wants Slevin to pony up the dough in a few short days.

It wouldn’t be a true neo-noir without a few double and triple-crosses, as well as a complicated back-story that ties everything together during the denouement. Writer Jason Smilovic’s jam-packed script is too clever by half, and even though the ending isn’t a total shocker, it’s an enjoyable ride.
“Slevin” is, however, also a rather dreary ride, especially odd considering the rapid-fire plot twists and the sarcastic, fast-talking hero. Director Paul McGuigan keeps everything serious and somber, which doesn’t really fit with the snappy exchanges that Smilovic’s written for all the characters. While “Slevin” is slick and shiny, full of sarcasm and soliloquies, it’s ultimately a grim affair, and that’s why it doesn’t totally work.

The blame lies mostly with Hartnett, who gives such an emotionless performance that he could easily be replaced with a cardboard cutout. This inappropriate stoicism is actually referenced in the film—when Lindsey asks Slevin why he’s so casual about being caught between warring gangsters, Slevin replies that he has a psychological affliction that prevents him from feeling worry or stress. Just because it’s a plausible excuse doesn’t make it a good one, and it doesn’t get Hartnett off the hook for being so flat.
As for the rest of the supporting cast, it often seems like they’re in different movies. Bruce Willis is a dour, no-frills assassin while Ben Kingsley seems to have wandered off the set of “Snatch.” Compared to everyone else, Lucy Liu is a like a blinding ray of sunshine, so perky, smart and cute that any scene she’s in feels much too short. As Lindsey, Lucy is lucky not only for Slevin but for the film itself, giving it the breezy, easygoing demeanor it tries so hard to affect.