Smokin' Aces (2006)

Director:

Joe Carnahan

Writer (WGA):

Joe Carnahan (written by)

Release Date:

26 January 2007 (USA)

Genre:

Action | Crime | Drama | Thriller

Tagline:

May the best hitman win.

Plot:

When a Las Vegas performer-turned-snitch named Buddy Israel (Piven) decides to turn state's evidence and testify against the mob, it seems that a whole lot of people would like to make sure he's no longer breathing.

Plot Keywords:

Night Club | Pool Hall | Lift Shooting | Ritalin | Faked Death

Awards:

4 wins

US TV Schedule:

Wed. May 21

2:05 AM

HBO

Cast

Ryan Reynolds	...	Richard Messner
Ray Liotta	...	Donald Carruthers
Joseph Ruskin	...	Primo Sparazza
Alex Rocco	...	Serna
Wayne Newton	...	Himself
Jeremy Piven	...	Buddy Israel
Ben Affleck	...	Jack Dupree
Peter Berg	...	"Pistol" Pete Deeks
Martin Henderson	...	Hollis Elmore
Common	...	Sir Ivy
Christopher Michael Holley	...	Beanie (as Christopher Holley)
Andy Garcia	...	Stanley Locke
Mike Falkow	...	Freeman Heller
Joe Drago	...	FBI Aid
Jeff Habberstad	...	Top Coated Gunman

Also Known As:

Mi$e à prix (France)
Äss mättasse (Estonia) [et]
Última carta, La (Argentina) [es]
A Última Cartada (Brazil) [pt]
As u rukavu (Croatia) (DVD title) [hr]
Ases calientes (Spain) [es]
Assos sto maniki (Greece) [el]
Coup fumant (Canada: French title) [fr]

Runtime:

109 min | USA:108 min

Country:

UK | France | USA

Language:

English

Color:

Color (Technicolor)

Aspect Ratio:

2.35 : 1

Sound Mix:

Dolby Digital | SDDS | DTS

Certification:

France:-12 | South Korea:18 | Australia:R | Malaysia:18PL | Switzerland:16 (canton of Geneva) | Netherlands:16 | Canada:16+ (Quebec) | Germany:16 | Denmark:15 | Ireland:18 | Italy:VM14 | South Africa:16LV | Switzerland:16 (canton of Vaud) | New Zealand:R18 | Canada:18A (Alberta/British Columbia/Manitoba/Ontario) | Norway:18 | Sweden:15 | Portugal:M/16 | Finland:K-18 | USA:R (certificate #41676) | Japan:R-15 | Singapore:M18 | UK:18

Filming Locations:

Lake Tahoe, California, USA

Company:

Working Title Films

Trivia:

Maile's Restaurant (The Tremor Brothers shoot-out at the beginning of the film) is named after director Joe Carnahan's daughter, Maile.

Goofs:

Continuity: When Sparazza kills Heller there are two holes in the cars window, Sparazza makes another, third. In the next shot there are four, and when Sparazza walks away, again only two.

Quotes:

Stanley Locke: Sparazza introduced Israel into the life. Gave him his first big break onstage, brought him up through the ranks. And Israel played the situation very shrewdly, slowly amassing the loyalties of Sparazza's top men, with the idea of toppling the throne.
Donald Carruthers: You know, I've seen some stupid moves, but...
Stanley Locke: Well, you spend your life pulling rabbits out of hats and sawing people in half, anything seems possible. Israel wanted to touch something real, something dangerous. But what he wound up doing was splitting up the family into dual factions. Sparazza on one side, Israel on the other. The infighting that followed drew the attention of every investigatory body operating under the canopy of the federal government. Presently, we have...
[...]

Movie Connections:

References Chasing Amy (1997)

Soundtrack:

Ace of Spades

Welcome to the magic show

Smokin' Aces was most certainly a bit of a magic show within itself, in that while you watched the evident plot go one way, you didn't notice the actual plot until BAM! it came out of nowhere. It wasn't the most coherent of plots sometimes, but for the most part it all wraps up in the end.

As far as greatness goes, this won't be up there winning awards. Rather, it might be remembered fondly as "that cool movie I saw a while ago." Good drama, good action. Ryan Reynolds breaks out in a truly serious and compelling role.

Definitely a movie worth viewing.