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:

Lift Shooting | Lake Tahoe Nevada | Faked Death | Underwear | Stabbing

Awards:

4 wins

US TV Schedule:

Sat. July 26

5:20 PM

MAX

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)

Runtime:

109 min | USA:108 min

Country:

UK | France | USA

Language:

English

Colour:

Colour (Technicolor)

Aspect Ratio:

2.35 : 1

Sound Mix:

DTS | SDDS | Dolby Digital

Certification:

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

Filming Locations:

Lake Tahoe, California, USA

Company:

Working Title Films

Trivia:

All the conversations by Agent Carruthers and Agent Messner in the surveillance van scene were improvised.

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:

Hollis Elmore: You shot me, and you murdered my friends... and you dumped us in the lake.
Darwin Tremor: Pretty much.

Movie Connections:

References "The Muppet Show" (1976)

Soundtrack:

Segura o Sambura

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.