Smokin' Aces Review

Smokin' Aces is an action film written and directed by Joe Carnahan set in Lake Tahoe and primarily shot at MontBleu Resort Casino & Spa (though renamed the "Nomad Casino"). It marks Carnahan's first feature film after Narc agent assigned to protect him. It is the feature film debut of . It stars Ryan Reynolds and Jeremy Piven as the leads, with Piven as a Las Vegas magician turned Mafia informant and Reynolds as the FBI Alicia Keys and hip hop artist Common.

Synopsis:

The film follows FBI agents Richard Messner (Ryan Reynolds) and Donald Carruthers (Ray Liotta) as several rival assassins try to cash in on the million dollar mob contract on Las Vegas magician turned Mafia informant Buddy "Aces" Israel (Jeremy Piven) .

Messner and Carruthers are staking out the house of Mafia boss Primo Sparazza (Joseph Ruskin) when it is revealed — by one of Sparazza's accomplices — that Sparazza has put a one-million-dollar bounty on Israel's head, and hired a "specialist" known only as "the Swede" to bring him Buddy's heart. FBI assistant director Stanley Locke (Andy Garcia) explains that Sparazza brought Israel into the Mafia, but Israel let his new-found power go to his head, and caused a rift. Sparazza, on his deathbed, wants Israel dead. However, the FBI want to offer Israel refuge in exchange for information. Locke also explains that Sparazza was responsible for the contract-killing of former FBI agent Freeman Heller (Mike Falkow).

Sparazza's accomplice Victor "Baby Buzz" Padiche (David Proval) hires Georgia Sykes (Alicia Keys) and Sharice Watters (Taraji P. Henson) to bring in Israel. At the same time, lawyer Rupert "Rip" Reed (Jason Bateman) hires bail bondsman Jack Dupree (Ben Affleck) and ex-cops Hollis Elmore (Martin Henderson) and "Pistol" Pete Deeks (Peter Berg) to bring Buddy back to Vegas. Dupree outlines their potential competition as master-of-disguise Lazlo Soot (Tommy Flanagan), torturer Pasquale Acosta (Nestor Carbonell) and neo-Nazi siblings The Tremors (Chris Pine, Kevin Durand and Maury Sterling).

Israel is staying at a hotel in Lake Tahoe along with his three bodyguards, Sir Ivy (Common), Beanie (Christopher Michael Holley) and Hugo Croop (Joel Edgerton). He is negotiating with his lawyer Morris Mecklen (Curtis Armstrong) over the details of his deal with the FBI. The two FBI agents and the assassins head to the hotel to find Buddy Israel, and a huge melee ensues, during which Jeeves and Lester Tremor are killed by Sir Ivy, Beanie and Croop are killed by Soot (with Soot taking on the guise of Croop). Messner confronts Locke about the nature of the operation, demanding an explanation for the events.

Visit the Official Movie Site to get downloads and view clips or teaser and theatrical trailers here.