USA: Sir Ben Kingsley, Lucy Liu, Bruce Willis and stars from the new gangster film "Lucky Number Slevin", walk the red carpet at the New York film premiere

Record ID: 751713

  • Title: USA: Sir Ben Kingsley, Lucy Liu, Bruce Willis and stars from the new gangster film "Lucky Number Slevin", walk the red carpet at the New York film premiere
  • Date: 23rd March 2006
  • Summary: NEW YORK CITY, NEW YORK (MARCH 21, 2006) (REUTERS) ACTOR JOSH HARTNETT TALKING TO PRESS (SOUNDBITE) (English) ACTOR JOSH HARTNETT SAYING: "I just...I had to do it. The character is so great, it was just about making the choices and stuff come together as best as we could. The dialogue really...when you have dialogue like that you can just goof around and really experiment and try something new. You'll probably never get a chance to do that again, that's why you just have to take a roll at it." WRITER JASON SMILOVIC HUGGING ACTOR SIR BEN KINGSLEY ACTOR BRUCE WILLIS TALKING TO DIRECTOR PAUL MCGUIGAN (SOUNDBITE) DIRECTOR PAUL MCGUIGAN SAYING: "There's that beautiful moment in making movies when you have a blank piece of paper and you write down your cast, you know, and you just think I'll have to make a long list. I'll start from there but then I'll write that list. I never got through my list at all. So it was fantastic to get everyone you wanted to get...And it's the script, you know I wish I could take credit for it but it's a beautiful script. " BRUCE WILLIS WALKING DOWN RED CARPET TALKING TO VARIOUS OTHERS
  • Embargoed: 7th April 2006 13:00
  • Keywords:
  • Location: Usa
  • Country: USA
  • Reuters ID: LVAD8V3JYDW5G96PWEOPWRBONYST
  • Story Text: Walking the red carpet at the New York premiere of "Lucky Number Slevin" on Tuesday (March 21, actress Lucy Liu looked radiant in a burgundy Hermes gown that flowed behind her as she walked and talked to reporters.
    Liu was joined by members of the film's stellar ensemble, including Sir Ben Kingsley, Bruce Willis and Josh Hartnett.
    "Lucky Number Slevin" is a comic gangster thriller that twists its way through the criminal underworld where nothing turns out be what it seems.
    While visiting his friend in New York City, Slevin, played by Josh Hartnett, has a turn of bad luck and is robbed of his wallet. Shortly thereafter, a case of mistaken identity lands Slevin smack in the middle of a war between two leading mobsters.
    The first mobster, known as The Rabbi, is played by Sir Ben Kingsley. Kingsley says the script struck a chord with him immediately.
    "The writing has a very strong intrinsic rhythm. And when a musician, If I were a musician and I see a music score and I can hear it and I can enjoy hitting those rhythms with some skill then I know that as an actor I'm going to really love hitting Jason Smilovic's rhythm with some skill and then sharing it. Because some scenes become a duet, then they become a trio, then they become a quartet. There are not many people on screen at the same time in this film. It's small isolated groups of people who come together with cataclysmic results... so it's kind of an orchestral, symphonic feeling about the film."
    "It's very cool film, very hip film," Kingsley was quick to add. "My son is 18 and he adored the film and I think that's a good measure of a film that will appeal ot a wide audience."
    By the names on the marquis, Kingsley isn't alone. The relatively low budget film by little known Scottish director Paul McGuigan, garnered real star power.
    Lucy Liu says she signed on to the project before she even knew who else would be involved. Liu was so inspired by some of her co-stars that she even went to the set on her days off.
    "Sir Ben has such an ability to manipulate words in a way that it's just beautiful to watch. I went in on my days off to watch him shoot with Josh. And the scene is quite serious but he's incredibly funny. He has such a knack to constantly ride the edge of where things are. And I think that balance is really hard to achieve and he does it so beautifully."
    While being mistaken for his missing friend Nick, Slevin is followed by Detective Brikowski played by Stanley Tucci as well as a notorious assassin known as Goodkat, played by Bruce Willis. Slevin encounters Lucy Liu, who plays his missing friend's neighbor, as he tries to reclaim his identity or pay a debt that could cost him his life.
    For Josh Hartnett, playing the role of Slevin was a natural decision. Hartnett says he was immediately drawn to the script. Although it's not a Hollywood blockbuster, Hartnett says this type of opportunity doesn't come along very often.
    "I just...I had to do it. The character is so great, it was just about making the choices and stuff come together as best as we could. The dialogue really...when you have dialogue like that you can just goof around and really experiment and try something new. You'll probably never get a chance to do that again, that's why you just have to take a roll at it."
    Putting it all together was a dream come true for director Paul McGuigan.
    "There's that beautiful moment in making movies when you have a blank piece of paper and you write down your cast, you know, and you just think I'll have to make a long list. I'll start from there but then I'll write that list. I never got through my list at all. So it was fantastic to get everyone you wanted to get."
    True to its genre of hip, gangster thrillers, "Lucky Number Slevin" keeps audiences guessing about the ending. Looks like audiences will have to head to theaters to find out how this caper ends.
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