NoFace for Film

Title: Smokin’ Aces
Year: 2007
Director: Joe Carnahan
Starring: Jeremy Piven, Ryan Reynolds, Ray Liotta, Andy Garcia, Alicia Keys, Ben Affleck
Rated: R

Review by: Matt H.

NoFace for Film rating: 3 out of 7

Smokin’ Aces is a classic Hollywood example of the old bait and switch. The marketing for this film resonated with the same tone as films from Steven Soderbergh (Ocean’s Eleven, Out of Sight) and Guy Ritchie (Snatch, Lock, Stock, and Two Smoking Barrels). Flushed out, this film and its director try too hard to be original while also trying too hard to fit into the caper/gangster genre that the aforementioned directors accomplish all too easily.

The basic idea of film is pretty much what is expressed in the trailers; a bunch of thugs converge on Lake Tahoe to collect a million dollar bounty on magician turned gangster Buddy “Aces” Israel (Jeremy Piven) before he turns state’s evidence against the Las Vegas mafia. Despite a few twists and turns in the plot, that were seemingly thrown in to give the film some kind of structure and failed, there is no advance toward a coherent ending.

In a film where there is a large ensemble cast the characters need to interact in order to make their presence interesting, otherwise its basically a cameo. The inclusion of so many stars and so few character actors, along with the plot keeping everybody separated makes for muddy viewing and general disappointment. The few characters that are built up are done so just to let you down.

Jeremy Piven as “Aces” and Ryan Reynolds as FBI Agent Messner, sent to protect the target before his testimony, stand out simply because they get the most screen time. Another standout, despite playing a stereotype and having little to no screen time is Common. The rapper/poet turned actor makes his big screen debut as Sir Ivy, a sort of Majordomo for “Aces” and his gang. His brief appearances project strength and clarity through the murk and when the film ends, leaves one hoping he could have been a bit more involved.

All in all Smokin’ Aces is not a bad film. It is seriously misguided, confused, and frequently confusing. It touches on wit, it shows a fleeting glance of cool, and wishes with all of its heart to be clever but ultimately misses the mark. Director Joe Carnahan has shown his greatness before with 2002’s Narc, and hopefully we will see it again with his upcoming adaptations of White Jazz (follow up to LA Confidential) and Killing Pablo. If you want something good in this genre, check out the films of Steven Soderbergh, Guy Ritchie, Matthew Vaughn, and F. Gary Gray, they might have some work that is a little more cliched, but it is certainly more entertaining. Good Luck.