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Life & Arts

‘Aces' is decked out as a joker

Colorful thriller with familiar cast defies expectations

by CHRISTIAN PALMER
The Daily Cougar

Joe Carnahan's Smokin' Aces is a lot of things. It, however, is not Snatch or Ocean's Eleven. That being said, it's time to move on.

Smokin' Aces is the story of the FBI, a Vegas show magician turned mob snitch and all the people trying to kill him for a bounty. It's not useful to go into more detail than that because by the end, it's a completely different story.

To properly evaluate this -- or any -- film, you have to define your standards first and ask yourself what you want out of the film, lest it be judged out of context. It becomes fairly clear from the trailers that this is not necessarily a thinking man's movie, and it certainly doesn't have Oscar aspirations -- but it does look like fun. 

Turns out, it is fun. It's packed with intrigue, explosions and all the things that make Vegas so great. Smokin' Aces is marketed as such and lives up to its promises. In the end, that's all that matters.

If nothing else, no one can accuse this movie of lacking style or attitude. You can feel the textures through the silver screen, and the colors make a bold statement. It looks like the people who shot the film replaced regular, real-world hues and shades with a box of tropical-colored markers. This hyper palate, of course, lends itself to the odd plot, putting the situation in proper perspective and reminding the audience that this series of events is more suited to the pages of a comic book than anything they will encounter in real life.

Not only does the audacious color scheme accentuate the story line, it prepares audiences for a slew of equally flamboyant character personalities. Aces features so many big names it feels like an awards program. Even if the cast feels a little stacked, every character brings something fresh, and maybe a little unexpected, to the table.

For one, Jeremy Piven plays the "protagonist" Buddy "Aces" Israel. 

It's weird because he never plays the spotlight role, and he's not hugging anyone. 

Common steps away from the microphone to play Sir Ivy, a man of thuggish persuasion.

Alicia Keys (Georgia Sykes) follows suit, picking up a big chunk of metal and donning a hooker's uniform.

If you've seen the previews, you may have noticed a strange threesome sporting weird hair and crazy demeanors. 

They're fun to watch and, no, one of them is not Jason Lee. 

And the list keeps on getting weirder.

The FBI bunch is played by Andy Garcia, Ray Liotta and Ryan Reynolds. 

The casting of Garcia shouldn't surprise you, except it seems like his accent changes just a little in the middle of the film. After Goodfellas, Liotta being on the "good" side seems strange, but he's believable. 

The real fish out of water is Reynolds, fresh out of National Lampoon and those crazy shenanigans. 

Oddly enough, his purpose is not a comedic one -- by the end, you can't believe what he's done. He manages to keep his cool and may have succeeded in breaking away from the absurd comedy audiences know and love him for. 

But Aces is all about screwing with your expectations.

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