BY JASON BLAIR
Alicia Keys in Smokin’ Aces
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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
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FEBRUARY 1, 2006 21