Smokin' Aces
2006 · Directed by Joe Carnahan
Original language: English
- action
- comedy
- crime
- thriller
The story
When a Las Vegas performer-turned-snitch named Buddy Israel 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.
What it’s like
Loud, saturated and kinetic, with hard Vegas glare, sweat-slick hotel corridors, and a frantic handheld energy that tips into full-on chaos during its set pieces. The palette leans on neon reds and cold blue-grey interiors, and the camera swings between jittery close-ups and sudden slow-motion beats, with a pounding rock-and-hip-hop soundtrack that keeps the adrenaline up. Its vibe is gleeful and grimy, a frenetic dark comedy that feels best late at night or on a loud, restless evening when you want something fast and absurd. The pacing is relentless, cutting between many scheming factions, and its emotional register is cynical and playful rather than tender: the characters are mostly grifters and hired guns, and their arcs are about getting in over their heads and scrambling to survive. Violence is frequent, graphic and often played for laughs, with plenty of gunfire, blood and crude language, along with some sexual content and racist, neo-Nazi characters. It is for viewers who want a brash, stylised ensemble crime romp with shootouts and a sardonic streak, and not for anyone seeking something gentle.
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