First off I have to admit that this time last year I was complaining that the studios dump their leftover films because they're trying to jockey those year-end Oscar hopefuls and parlay their DVD release before the Academy Awards so they can make bank when the awards are handed out.

This year's crop of movies has shown some promise. OK, so maybe I'm slightly prejudicial about the release of "Smokin' Aces," the first reason being that South Lake Tahoe played a major role as one of the characters in this film. That's right - a character. Second, I have interviewed the movie's writer and director, Joe Carnahan, before and found his offbeat, no-nonsense approach to filmmaking a refreshing departure from the usual formula fare. Oh sure, he was chosen to direct Tom Cruise's "Mission: Impossible III" before bowing out due to "creative differences," but his too-cool-for-the-room approach would have made that movie an edgier one.

Creative differences. That's the term they use so parties involved don't sue one another or burn that Hollywood bridge just in case you become next month's "It Kid."

No, the Sacramento local wouldn't have anything to do with that. He just wanted to make a movie with his own vision and without the messy muddling that often comes when there are too many chiefs who want to decide which direction to go. Maybe Joe was just more comfortable directing his own vision. So yeah, with that said, I like Carnahan's latest. Joe has always had this fascination with crime, and the whole Vegas/casino/mob connection always makes for an interesting connection. He blends those elements in a unique fashion here.

In many ways "Smokin' Aces" reminds me of the early 1960s when entertainers were king on The Strip and friends with the mob at least on the surface. Blend that sensibility in a modern context coupled with Carnahan's signature style and you get a picture that wreaks havoc if you suffer from ADD. Much like his last stylistic/noir caper, "Narc" (2002), Carnahan knew what to draw out of his actors, keeping a tight focus on what it was he had written down on the page.

"Smokin' Aces" keeps you hooked from the outset, even when the movie travels down some weird paths. If you leave the theater for a second, you're going to forget where you left off and wonder where the next oddball psycho character came from. Carnahan doesn't like to leave much in the way of down time, so in addition to the highly charged, octane pace there's also a multitude of stories going on that collide when you least expect it, with enough in-your-face sequences that make you wonder who is going to get "hit" next.

I might add that multiple Grammy winner Alicia Keys has never looked sexier on the big screen as the ultimate bad girl appealing to both sexes. All this and vocals too? Carnahan packs the action with a stellar cast that includes Ryan Reynolds, Ray Liotta, Ben Affleck, Peter Berg, Taraji P. Henson, Common and Andy Garcia just to name a few. Oh yeah, Wayne Newton appears as himself in a cameo because what is Vegas, after all, without Wayne?

The pivotal character of "Aces" is Jeremy Piven (HBO's "Entourage"). He plays Buddy "Aces" Israel, a Las Vegas entertainer with connections to the mob who decides that it's time to move up and join those who make the decisions where lots of dough is concerned. He's pretty much been their mascot and they like him just where he is. That is until he decides he wants a promotion. This is Piven's first big-time leading role, and when you consider the company he's keeping, that says a lot. Not only did Piven have to come across as a likable guy, but he actually pulls off being a decent performer, mixing a little comedy and magic and evoking emotions that proves he was ready for this role.

He had to nail the likeability factor up front, before he starts his spiral decline into a darker character. He becomes neurotic from over-binging, yet you still want to cheer him on when you realize he's bottled up and the target for both sides of the law. The scenes where Piven is present are dark at times, but wickedly funny. Going from dramatic to hysterically humorous at times he's equally brilliant from both ends of the acting spectrum while still maintaining that look of, "What you mean me?" persona. The movie becomes a game of cat-and- mouse after a bounty of $1 million is placed on Buddy's head to prevent him from being the FBI's star witness in a case that could put away the last of the big-time mobsters.

Carnahan then uses the money angle to introduce us to a myriad of bizarre characters (and I do mean bizarre) including the evil-doers of society: insane bounty hunters, neo-Nazi types, degenerate, sadomasochist bottom-feeders sporting bad fashions, opportunists, and just about everything else this side of Central Casting. When money talks, the dregs of society walk (and run) to cash in on Aces' misfortune. At the head of the pack is mobster impresario Primo Sparazza (Joseph Ruskin).

Tahoe's South Shore is featured predominately throughout (when Aces holes up) showing the basin in its fall colors including chase scenes (often a blur at times) with The Horizon and 'Nomad' Casino (where MontBleu is) as the backdrop for Buddy's hideaway suite. Ironically Lake Tahoe is this calming balance to the non-stop, kinetic mayhem that is taking place between the good and bad guys. And yes, familiar faces dot the landscape of those who call Tahoe home if even just for a brief period. Some of the principal players who star in this movie also have but a brief (albeit effective) amount of time on the screen. Ben Affleck as a goatee-sporting bail bondsman with just enough narration to give him a credit is but one of a multitude of big- name actors who don't hog major screen time.

Jason Bateman plays Rip Reed who had an interesting look about him with his wardrobe and he was one of the more "normal" characters. Ray Liotta and Ryan Reynolds play F.B.I. agents Carruthers and Messner. Liotta has worked with Carnahan before in "Narc" and turns in a convincing performance but I had to take a second look when I realized that Reynolds here was the same guy from "National Lampoon's Van Wilder." Whoa. When did he get good as an actor? Outside of Piven he was one of my favorites here. As his character, Aces, says, "Do you dare to be amazed?" Well yeah, I was actually.

Joe Carnahan's latest has come a long way since his low-budget "Blood, Guts, Bullets & Octane" from 1998. His budget may be bigger but his latest baby still has that feel of being an indie flick. As dark as it sounds, "Smokin' Aces" is funny in parts where you wouldn't expect it, but then again crime brings out the dark side in his characters which in turn brings out the humor to numb the reality of living as if each day was your last. Think Martin Scorsese ("Goodfellas") with a tinge of the late Robert Altman ("The Player"), toss in a little Steven Soderbergh ("Ocean's Eleven"), mix in Bryan Singer ("The Usual Suspects"), and you get a hint of where Carnahan absorbed his mixture of favorites fused with his own styling and you get a smokin' flick that has its own stamp of originality. I resisted any comparison to writer/director Quentin Tarantino only because everyone seems to compare a movie with guns to him. Let Reservoir Dogs lie this time.



- Howie Nave is host/manager of The Improv comedy club inside Harveys and reviews films for seven radio stations throughout northern California and Nevada, including the Sirius Radio Network every Sunday evening. He hosts "Howie's Morning Rush" on Tahoe's KRLT radio and you can see his film reviews every Friday morning on KOLO ABC TV Channel 8.



Keepin' it Reel

Now playing: "Smokin' Aces"

Cast: Ben Affleck, Jason Bateman, Common, Joseph Ruskin, Andy Garcia, Alex Rocco, Alicia Keys, Wayne Newton, Ray Liotta, Jeremy Piven, Peter Berg, Ryan Reynolds, Martin Henderson, Christopher Holley and Mike Falkow

Directed by: Joe Carnahan

Rated: R for profanity, violence and nudity

Running time: 1 hour and 42 minutes.

Howie gives it: 4 out of 5 bagels