Caffeinated Clint
In his new film “Smokin’ Aces” Joe Carnahan’s takes all the necessary ingredients for a tantalising dish, but as the aroma reaches his salivating audience, he instead serves up an overcooked tale of muddled confusion. In a clear effort to make a good thing better, he has instead made it worse… much, much worse.
Ben Affleck, Andy Garcia, Ray Liotta, Jeremy Piven, Ryan Reynolds, Peter Berg, Martin Henderson, Taraji Henson
In his new film “Smokin’ Aces” Joe Carnahan’s takes all the necessary ingredients for a tantalising dish, but as the aroma reaches his salivating audience, he instead serves up an overcooked tale of muddled confusion. In a clear effort to make a good thing better, he has instead made it worse… much, much worse.
Just as you feel yourself getting a good grasp on the multiple intertwining narratives that drive the film, he asks us to be accepting when we realise they never really mattered in the first place.
Buddy ‘Aces’ Israel is a Las Vegas magician who meddles his way into the underworld, accumulating wads of cash and stash as he goes. After finding himself getting greedier than his gangster experience should have permitted, and after playing the mob game by his own naive and inexperienced rules, he sinks deeper and deeper into trouble, before finding himself giving evidence to the FBI. A resulting one million dollar bounty is placed on his head, with the request that his heart also be delivered.
With some of the countries most notable hit-men and women after him (notable not always by their skill level) he flees to Lake Tahoe, secretly occupying the entire level of a highrise hotel building, kept secure by hotel security staff.
Word of his whereabouts spreads fast and the killers close in on their target, each with a unique style of attack, some more plausible than others. Detectives Cruthers (Ray Liotta) and Messner (Ryan Reynolds) are on the case, doing all that they can to protect a man literally waiting for death.
After involving us in a mesh of plots and characters, in the end, rather than gaining clarity and closure, we’re given cloudiness and confusion.
One can’t help but feel cheated as the film twists uncomfortably through a series of camp, undisciplined sequences that seem to lack a maturity and control seen in some of the other films Smokin’ Aces seeks to emulate. It’s almost as if Carnahan has employed some of the winning tactics and sequences that contributed to the success of these classic ‘pulp’ films, and then filled in the gaps – proof of just how important those gaps can be. And, in the end, his attempt to wow ends with his audience instead asking why.
The majority of the characters lacked realism, due perhaps to insufficient exposure, or maybe a lack of a vehicle to take us into the depths of their own dark worlds. We see little of the obstacles facing them, and therefore cared little for their journeys.
On a considerably low budget, the film’s rich — but hackneyed — 70s feel about it was an achievement. The sets were well thought out and shots intrinsically executed, a credit to the art direction. But, it’s a shame that some of this time wasn’t spent on perfecting the story and screenplay.
For a film that follows multiple characters and story lines, not a lot really happens in the end, not a lot that matters anyway. But having said that, there is still enough going on to keep you waiting for what could have been a more memorable finale, and a chance for ‘Aces’ to really stand up as a character. Instead, the film explodes into an elaborate, contrived and disappointing sequence of ghastly, fabricated events (look out for the chainsaw wielding hitmen).
Reynolds holds his own in a more dramatic role than he’s used to, and Hollywood stalwalt Ray Liotta also gives a solid performance, but it was Jeremy Piven’s star that shines brightest in an impressive performance. The cameo appearance of Jason Bateman was a treat, and the other big names are also sure to lure audiences.
But, as far as characters go, the film appeared to be about all of them and none of them at the same time, with the real point of the movie only becoming clear at the end in the cheapest way possible.
By all accounts, “Smokin’ Aces” isn’t the disaster movie I have perhaps made it out to be. But you walk away feeling that way, because of what it could have been.
An excellent DVD package all-round, the “Smokin’ Aces” disc includes dual commentaries (one with Joe Carnahan and his editor; the other with Carnahan and some supporting players – none of whose names you’ll probably recognize), which are quite amusing and insightful; a bunch of deleted scenes and an alternate ending; a thingie on the different characters – including interviews with the players; some hilarious outtakes (Affleck not being able to play pool is quite amusing) and a couple of other things.
Rating : 
Reviewer : Davin Sgargetta
