Then there is the vastly over-the-top mayhem of the hotel penthouse shoot-out, the pseudo-lesbian hitwoman couple, the ‘master-of-disguises’ killer, and the ‘denouement’ in which an incomprehensible storyline and an unbelievably far-fetched plot are concluded. None, of it makes any sense at all. But, inexplicably, it is rather entertaining.
Watching it – and watching the first ten minutes twice (I saw it on DVD) – I asked myself why I wasn’t appalled – and then I realised why: this is comic book film-making, abstract film-making. This is – and I hope I don’t sound
And if you accept it on its own terms (rather like the equally – conventionally – quite ludicrous 300) it isn’t half bad.
Unfortunately, I am not quite persuaded that is what writer/director Joe Carnahan actually intended. Watching the bonus features on my DVD, of which one is an interview with the guy, I rather suspect what he thought he was doing was rather more straight-down-the-line.
That puts me in something of a dilemma (and might even make me sound like a 24-carat idiot): if Carnahan really expects us to take Smokin’ Aces seriously, convoluted and horribly contrived plot and all – if this is seriously offered as just another chase thriller – well then it isn’t very good.
If, on the other hand this was intended – oh dear, I’m being pretentious again – as an exercise is film-making for the sake of film-making and some very good laughs, well, it isn’t half bad: in one sense, contrivance is the quintessence of art and this is contrived to within an inch of its life.
I decided to watch this after seeing Carnahan’s Narc, which also had Ray Liotta, and that was a very good film indeed. (It also helped that the DVD of Smokin’ Aces was on sale at the Bodmin branch of Asda for just £2, which is my sort of price and always a more than compelling incentive.)
Another intriguing aspect of the film was the number of name actors taking part – Garcia, Liotta, Ben Affleck, Jason Bateman, Common (great in Apply TV’s Silo, another wacky, wacky offering), Jeremy Piven, Ryan Reynold, Peter Berg (who doesn’t actually last very long – he gets bumped off pretty soon) and Alicia Keys with none actually getting star billing.
At first I was rather irritated with the whole exercise from the start, what with its rushed and garbled plot exposition and ‘cool’ banter between two eavesdropping FBI agents.
Carnahan goes for the style of quick-cutting and more or less unintelligible dialogue which these days often takes the place of thought but is ‘cool’ and ‘hip’ (they do still say that, don’t they, or am I a dick as well as pretentious?).
But I settled in, intrigued as to what the bloody hell this was all about, and reassured that a director who can make his shots (and not least his choice of colour) consistently interesting can surely not be all bad.
Well, he isn’t, although the jury is out as to whether Carnahan actually meant to make what I have called an ‘abstract film’ or whether it is sheer luck (and the goodwill of pretentious dicks like me) that his film isn’t quite as bad as some might think.
I suppose the only way to find out is to make a point of seeing more films by the guy. My advice to anyone reading up on reviews before deciding whether to see it or not is not to expect your usual film. Smokin’ Aces has something, but I’m really not yet quite sure what exactly. Treat it like a comic book and you might well enjoy it. Abstract’s the word, even if it’s not (if you get my drift). In short give it a whirl.
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