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Film review

Try to guess who doesn't die

Because everybody's a target in Smokin' Aces, a mob boss/assassin movie that 's long on violence and short on plot.

By STEVE PERSALL
Published January 25, 2007

You can't tell the corpses without a scorecard in Smokin' Aces, a seamy mob drama blasting holes in logic and most of its macho cast.

Writer-director Joe Carnahan isn't concerned with details, only destruction. Noise can cover up plot holes and nobody needs a solid reason for being anywhere triggers are being pulled. Carnahan burst onto the scene eight years ago with a nasty piece of business titled Blood, Guts, Bullets and Octane. That could be a subtitle for Smokin' Aces.

It's all kind of fun, in a Tarantino rip-off sort of way, with incredibly ruthless assassins tripping over each other while attempting to cash in a million-dollar hit, and FBI agents scrambling to prevent it. The target is a cocaine-fueled Las Vegas magician named Buddy "Aces" Israel Jeremy Piven, who incredibly became a Mafia mascot. Now he's a state witness against the last don, who wants Buddy silenced.

Oh, yeah, the mobster also wants Buddy's heart removed. That bit of business is almost forgotten until a 10-minute anticlimax, when Carnahan shakes off his preoccupation with random violence and figures an explanation is in order.

Smokin' Aces does contain its fair share of horrifically amusing scenes, or we should say "vignettes" since linkage is a problem. Once in a while, Carnahan concocts silly savagery that works: a guilt-ridden killer using a corpse for some ventriloquism forgiveness, drive-by shootings in the midst of amusing small talk, and a shootout inside an elevator that leaves viewers breathless.

Choice moments are provided by Jason Bateman as a cross-dressing, coke-snorting lawyer whose connection to Buddy isn't clear, but he's hilarious. Grammy winner Alicia Keys makes an impressive film debut under highly unlikely circumstances, playing a hit woman blend of Foxy Brown and the Bride from Kill Bill.

Much of the time, we're left wishing the impressive roster of actors (some of whom won't be around long) had been trimmed to allow meatier roles for a few. Ben Affleck fans will appreciate seeing him as a tough bail bondsman on the trail; his critics will appreciate seeing him blown off of it. Ray Liotta and Ryan Reynolds have interesting chemistry as FBI partners until one bites a bunch of bullets. Andy Garcia is bland as their supervisor and downright dull during his late exposition lecture.

Then there's Piven, who makes obnoxious arrogance look too easy, here and in his role on HBO's Entourage. Carnahan never pens any solid reasons why we should care if anyone kills Buddy, and Piven doesn't try to explore the notion. The complete absence of sympathetic characters - until Carnahan picks one or two late - is a gaping wound.

Grade: C+

Director: Joe Carnahan

Cast: Jeremy Piven, Ray Liotta, Ryan Reynolds, Alicia Keys, Ben Affleck, Jason Bateman, Andy Garcia, Common, Peter Berg

Screenplay: Joe Carnahan

Rating: R; strong violence, harsh profanity, nudity, sexual content, drug abuse

Running time: 109 min.

[Last modified January 24, 2007, 12:14:12]