Slevin’s sleight-of-hand appeal

No one in the theater watching “Lucky Number Slevin” nodded off or sneaked out for popcorn. The quirky characters and mysterious plot forced viewers to pay attention.

After being mistaken for a friend who owes money to gangsters, Slevin (Josh Hartnett) has run out of luck. The loan sharks tell him that even if he’s the wrong guy, it’s his debt now.

By the time Slevin decides what he’s going to do and acts on it, his friends, enemies and the situation take a number of twists. What Mr. Goodkat (Bruce Willis) calls “the Kansas City Shuffle” ? a reliance on misdirection and sleight-of-hand ? is central to both the characters and the plot of the film.

In between all the threats, beatings and killings, Slevin falls in love with the coroner, Lindsey (Lucy Lui). Lindsey is one of the few characters not connected to everyone else, but she is pivotal in bringing Slevin’s past full circle.

Of all the oddities in “Lucky Number Slevin,” one is a distraction: The set design is the same in every room. All the hallways, for example, have a design ? one has squiggles, another wavy lines and a third circles.

Although the claustrophobic swirls reinforce Slevin’s feelings of being trapped, it distractingly resembles the entrance to a psychedelic disco. Violent, trendy and armed with a cool sense of humor, “Lucky Number Slevin” is a must-see for viewers who like being unable to figure out what happens next.

If you choose to wait to see the film on DVD, just remember not to leave the room without hitting the pause button.