Smokin' Aces

Smokin' Aces ***

Directed by Joe Carnahan
Written by Joe Carnahan

Starring:
Ben Affleck as Jack Dupree
Andy Garcia as Stanley Locke
Alicia Keys as Georgia Sykes
Ray Liotta as Donald Carruthers
Jeremy Piven as Buddy 'Aces' Israel
Ryan Reynolds as Richard Messner
Peter Berg as "Pistol" Pete Deeks
Taraji Henson as Sharice Watters
Chris Pine as Darwin Tremor
Martin Henderson as Hollis Elmore
Jason Bateman as Rip Reed
Common as Sir Ivy
Matthew Fox as Bill

109 Minutes(Rated R for strong bloody violence, pervasive language, some nudity and drug use. )
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"Smokin' Aces" is Quentin Tarrantino-lite, and for once that is actually a good thing. It doesn't have that rip off feeling to it, and its gritty, dark, hilarious, and one of the best times you'll have at the movies this year. I haven't felt as satisfied and stuffed after seeing a movie than I have seeing this once. It is the follow up to Joe Carnahan gritty cop drama "Narc," and I may be on my own on this one, but he seems to be growing. Taking out similar looks and gritty feels, "Smokin' Aces" is simply more satisfying, and much more easy to invest yourself into.

"Smokin' Aces" begins on a stakeout, where we meet cops Donald Carruthers and Richard Messner, who learn that a contract is about to go over the head of Buddy "Aces" Israel, a Las Vegas magician/entertainer, who is about to snitch to the FBI the actions of mob boss Primo Sparazza. Carruthers and Messner get their assignment from their chief Stanley Locke, who tells them that they must find Israel, and return him safely to FBI headquarters. We then meet the large group of hitmen that are assembling themselves to find Israel, and collect the big price over his head. There are the(what I believe) lesbian hitwoman couple, Georgia Sykes and Sharice Watters, who are staying at the hotel where Israel is staying. There is a group led by Jack Dupree, a bail bondmen, who are quickly all slain by The Tremors-a group of tongue licking, chainsaw holding, Neo-Nazis who behave pretty much like animals. And then there is Buddy himself, addicted to coke, and secretly living in the penthouse of a Las Vegas casino, where his men know that he is about to snitch and are all planning to kill him. Chaos unleashes itself as the hit men, the cops, and Israel all find themselves at the same hotel, where everyone wants him but nobody wants to work together.

There isn't anybody to care about, and nobody that you could relate to, but for some reason "Smokin' Aces" ends up being the most entertaining thing I've seen in a month. The dialogue is crisp, and never seems like a carbon copy of a Tarantino flick. The camera is often just hanging around in the room with the characters, with overlapping conversation, and some useless little dialogues, giving it a very natural and realistic feel. The plot is interesting, and has enough stories so that when one is going on you don't miss one of the others. The gun fights take no prisoners, and this movie kills off characters like there is no tomorrow-very easily and simply. All the acting shockingly good, even Ryan Reynolds who is able to accept a role without any cute glances or witty one liners. Maybe there is more too him that meets the eye. And then there is Jeremy Piven, the man himself, who has come along way from the supporting roles in John Cusack movies. He was always a main highlight in those, and he steals the show in every scene he is in. Hell, he steals the show in all the scenes that he isn't in, as every single scene ends up being about him anyway. There is nothing preventing me from saying that Joe Carnahan has talent. He could tell a good story, and do it in a way that it seems like it's actually happening right outside. And with this being progressively better than his last film, I wonder what he has up his sleeve next. See this one-it's a good old fashioned great time at the movies.