Invites You To 'A wonderful adventure in fine dining" — Danny Raskin Featuring Gourmet Oriental Cuisine Excellent Lunch and Dinner Selections 7 Days a Week II a.m.- Midnight Lucky Number Slevin features two warring gangs, one headed by "the Rabbi." Robert David Jaffee Jewish Journal of Greater Los Angeles T hough it's been more than a decade since Quentin Tarantino burst onto the film scene with Reservoir Dogs, his influ- ence remains, and not just in terms of film content or style. Like Tarantino, Jason Smilovic, a 33-year-old first-time screenwriter, whose Lucky Number Slevin opens in Detroit area theaters on April 7, didn't learn his craft from going to film school: "It had a lot to do with going to the local video stores:' says Smilovic by phone. In fact, Smilovic's father owned a video store in Long Island. When he was unemployed for about a year, Smilovic would routinely watch two movies a day. Even over the phone, Smilovic reveals an engaging personality and is quick with a quip. Of getting kicked out of SUNY-Buffalo, he-says, "It was hard to get to class with all the snow." Of his time at the University of Maryland, he says, "I couldn't even tell you if-I got a B.A. or a B.S." Not surprisingly, he finds writing a screenplay to be "a lot like telling a joke. It has more to do with the deliv- ery and the telling than any required structure' And he delivers a unique riff on the fabled gangland picture in Lucky Number Slevin, a film produced by the Weinstein Company, whose two chieftains also first spotted Tarantino. The film features two warring gangs, one headed by "the Rabbi" (Sir Ben Kingsley) and the other by "the Boss" (Morgan Freeman), who battle from towering edifices across the street from each other in New York City's West Village. ell Complete Menu Carryout .1. i t. • Gift Certificates Available • We Cater To Private Parties 27925 Orchard Lake Road, north of 12 Mile • Farmington Hills 248.489.2280 Jewish Gangsters The Rabbi is indeed a rabbi, but he is also a gangster. Smilovic says that he was intrigued by that dichotomy within a single character. "Let's face it. Jews lack the coordina- tion to be gangsters:' he says, though he is aware of the history of Jewish gangsters going back to the first half of the last century. "We had a different level of manual dexterity back then. When you take a minority group like Jewish culture, . which is wholly predicated on intellec- tualism, we always look up to physical prowess, to guys who know how to use their hands:' The films director, Paul McGuigan, a Scotsman perhaps best known for directing Gangster Number 1, had never before directed a film with a JOE AND HELMA BERNARDI AND FAMILY WISH ALL OUR FRIENDS A VERY HAPPY PASSOVER 118 W. WALLED LAKE DRIVE, CORNER PONTIAC TRAIL • (248) 6244033. WALLED LAKE . We invite you to join us at the newest Kruse And Muer restaurant in Troy to experience the area's finest fresh fish and seafood, premium aged cuts of beef, deep-dish pizzas, fresh salads, homemade soups, pastas and more. All of which comes with a § hearty helping of genuine hospitality! KRUSE & MUER (Formerly T.G.I. Friday's) • 911 Wilshire Drive • Troy . 248-362-2700 • Carry Out Now Available! Lunch: Mon - Fri 11:00-4:00, Sat 12:00 - 4:00 • Dinner: Mon - Thurs 4:00 - 10:00, Fri & Sat: 4:00 - 11:00, Sun: 3:00 - 8:30 slr Free glass of champagne to All Mothers on Mother's Day! ■ BBQ Grill on the Table ■ Best Sushi Bar in Town ■ Traditional Floor Sitting Rooms Available Screenwriter Jason Smilovic with Bruce Willis on the set of Lucky Number Slevin New Seoul. Garden Authentic Korean & Japanese Cuisine Phone (248) 827-1600 www.newseoulgarden.com newseoulehotmail.com Open Daily Catering Available IF., 27566 Northwestern Hwy.