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About Eugene weekly. (Eugene, Oregon) 1993-current | View Entire Issue (Feb. 1, 2007)
BY JASON BLAIR Alicia Keys in Smokin’ Aces ❤ SALSA LIVE Son Mela’o Friday, February 2nd at the Tango Center Dance to the beautiful rhythm and melody of live Cuban and Puerto Rican Latin Jazz! eugenesfavoriteflorist.com Hot Roses All ages Free lesson NEW TIME 9-10pm Order by 2/11 Music starts at 10pm • Cover only $8 Cool Designs Next Friday, Feb. 9th Free lesson NEW TIME 9-10pm Music starts at 10pm Get FREE Delivery* Herman & Barb *one dozen arranged & delivered in specified zones Smoke, But No Fire Despite a spirited cast, Smokin’ Aces confuses, frustrates SMOKIN’ ACES: Written and directed by Joe Carnahan. Cinematography, Mauro Fiore. Music, Clint Mansell. Starring Ben Affleck, Jason Bateman, Common, Andy Garcia, Alicia Keys, Ray Liotta, Jeremy Piven and Ryan Reynolds. Universal Pictures, 2007. R. 108 minutes. 44211 W idely thrashed as a weak hodge- podge of Quentin Tarantino films, Smokin’ Aces actually bor- rows from the lesser films that followed in Pulp Fiction’s wake. Tarantino’s 1994 mas- terpiece established a new subgenre of crime drama, one that explored the lighter, almost mundane side of violent crime via a densely threaded, non-linear plot. Tarantino tapped directly into in Seinfeld-era silliness, giving us ruthless gangsters who weren’t above de- bating the provenance of “royale with cheese.” Although several films built upon Tarantino’s legacy, no crime film ever ex- ceeded Pulp Fiction for the sheer audacity of its humor, vulnerability and complexity. Smokin’ Aces, as a mere imitation of imita- tions, has very little (if anything) original to offer. It aspires to the style of Ocean’s Eleven and the complexity of Lock, Stock and Two Smoking Barrels, but falls short of even Boondock Saints or the forgettable 2 Days in the Valley. It’s a confused and confusing pic- ture. In fact, the principal joy of Smokin’ Aces is trying to guess which actor will show up next. Aces boasts an impressive cast of both familiar and upcoming performers. Along with crusty veterans Ray Liotta and Andy Garcia (who continues his remarkable run of playing the same character in every film), stars of both television (Jason Bateman) and hip hop (Common, Alicia Keys) make impor- tant contributions. As yet another gun battle ensues in Aces, you might find yourself jarred awake by such questions as: Is that Matthew Fox from Lost? (Yes, in an unbilled cameo.) Is Jason Bateman really wearing women’s underpants? (Again, yes, and it’s hilarious.) Do I really believe Alicia Keys as a contract killer? (Almost, but not quite.) And, most crucially, will Ben Affleck botch his accent? (Incredibly, he doesn’t.) The story within Smokin’ Aces is simple. Buddy “Aces” Israel (a debaucherous Jeremy Piven), the hottest illusionist in Las Vegas, succumbs to delusions of grandeur and gets too cozy with the mob. Naturally, things get out of hand for Buddy, who hasn’t a clue about organized crime. In order to avoid jail time, Buddy agrees to testify, after which he’s whisked to an FBI safehouse (a Lake Tahoe penthouse suite). Once the mob learns of Buddy’s whereabouts, it’s a footrace for every crazed contract killer imaginable to claim the bounty of the “great white whale of snitches.” A simple plot, perhaps. But writer/director Joe Carnahan employs the prismatic narrative approach made so famous by Tarantino, in which a single sequence gets multiple renderings from various points of view. It’s all fun for a while as Carnahan lays out the basis for his greasy, gritty tale of cor- ruption. But the film turns ultra-violent in the middle, finding hopelessness instead of meaning, and toward the end it gropes for a conscience that hasn’t been properly estab- lished. The final scenes contain a ridiculous attempt to restore innocence and sanity to the film, but the further wrongs don’t make things right. ew SALSA AT THE TANGO CENTER EVERY FRIDAY 5th St. Market 485-4659 Delta Oaks Mkt. of Choice 344-9998 24th & Hilyard 485-0985 1 94 W . B r o a d wa y A v e. E ug e n e • 6 8 9- 07 1 1 www.northwestsalsadancenews.com B B B B B Hoodoo's ANYCARD B Great gift idea: B B B B B B Completely transferable! B B B B B B 5 lift tickets good for B ANYONE ANYTIME. B ( T H I S S E A S O N ) $150 B T HE T RAVEL C LINIC medical advice for global travelers John D. Wilson, M.D. 1200 Hilyard St., Ste S-560 343-6028 www.Hoodoo.com 541-822-3799 Begin traveling healthy today at www.TravelClinicOregon.com FEBRUARY 1, 2006 21
