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January 26, 2007 > Arts & Entertainment > Smokin’ Aces goes down in flames

Smokin’ Aces goes down in flames

By Tasha Chemplavil | Thresher Editorial Staff

Sitting through Smokin’ Aces was not unlike watching Tuesday’s State of the Union address: It started out dynamic and entertaining but quickly descended into chaotic confusion. Criticisms of the president’s oratory should be left to political pundits, but a closer look at Aces reveals problems with two of the most basic features of moviemaking — character development and plot continuity.

Buddy “Aces” Israel (Keeping Up with the Steins’ Jeremy Piven) is a Las Vegas magician who has incurred the wrath of mafia head Primo Sparazza (The Scorpion King’s Joseph Ruskin) by becoming a federal witness against Sparazza’s extensive crime syndicate.

Sparazza wants Israel’s heart on a platter. Literally.

The mafia king offers $1 million to anyone who can deliver his order, luring mercenaries, bounty hunters, contract killers and hit men to reap the reward.

Meanwhile, the FBI learns about Sparazza’s plan to eliminate Israel and must do what it can to keep the magician alive.

The bulk of the film depicts the various murderous teams’ efforts to infiltrate the penthouse of a Lake Tahoe hotel where Israel is under police protection. Meanwhile, Israel falls into a drug-induced stupor.

Many of Smokin’ Aces’ strengths are due to its ensemble cast: On-screen interactions among actors like Piven, Ben Affleck (Hollywoodland), Ray Liotta (Identity), Andy Garcia (Ocean’s Twelve) and Ryan Reynolds (Just Friends) are enjoyable to behold. Even less well-known additions like rapper Common and singer Alicia Keys are fun novelties.

Unfortunately, the ensemble is also the film’s downfall. Problems start to arise when entirely unknown actors in completely superfluous roles crowd the screen. Affleck’s ex-cop cronies and the psychopathic Tremor brothers add nothing to the story except more names viewers are expected to remember.

Not only do the excess of characters contribute to the story’s confusion, but Mauro Fiore’s stylistic cinematography — while energizing in small doses — becomes tiresome when featured ad nauseum. Viewers are overwhelmed with too much visual information.

The geysers of blood that spew forth as bullets audibly rip through flesh are ridiculous in their grotesqueness. Garish colors and deafening sound effects assault the senses while lightning quick cuts and camera movements disorient the audience with their inability to focus on one storyline.

The story is also confusing to the point of exasperation. An utter lack of character development prevents viewers from identifying with the story’s players. Characters’ emotional reactions are hollow due to underdeveloped relationships, and the mercenaries’ attempts to kill Israel get tedious in their inefficacy.

Convoluted storylines unnecessarily perplex viewers with unrelated tangential story arcs. Audiences are unsure of what is happening on-screen most of the time, and the contrived ending attempts to achieve the cohesiveness of The Usual Suspects or Ocean’s Eleven but becomes the patchwork job of a screenwriter trying to make everything come together in the 11th hour. Streamlining the cast and emphasizing key plot points would have made Aces an infinitely more enjoyable film.

Amidst the confusion, there are a few bright spots. The absurd situations and certifiably crazy characters will have audiences laughing out loud, even if only out of bewilderment. Jason Bateman’s cameo as a cross-dressing, herpes-sporting lawyer is hilarious despite its brevity.

The big surprise is go-to funny man Reynolds, who proves he can handle more serious roles. His betrayed FBI agent character displays moments of real dramatic talent.

However, Piven is underused in his role as the stoolie magician. His dead-on comedic timing makes a promising appearance at the film’s beginning, but as he descends further and further into his cocaine coma, Piven provides no entertainment value. Though the center of the film’s action, he has little effect on its outcome.

From the influx of visual information to the disconnected nature of its many schemes, Smokin’ Aces leaves viewers wondering — not about character motivations or what a sequel would be like, but about where the last hour of their lives went.

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