Smokin' Aces is a 2006 British-American action-crime film written and directed by Joe Carnahan. The plot resolves around a notorious mafia informant named Israel (Jeremy Piven), protected by the FBI and hiding at the top of a heavily-guarded tower to escape the various bounty hunters, killers and mercenaries sent after him. It stars an ensemble cast consisting of Ryan Reynolds, Joseph Ruskin, Martin Henderson, Ray Liotta, Alex Rocco, Tommy Flanagan, Alicia Keys, Common, Taraji P. Henson, Nestor Carbonell, Chris Pine, Kevin Durand, Maury Sterling, Jason Bateman, and Ben Affleck as the many characters chasing and killing each other in order to either protect, capture, or kill Israel.
The film is set in Lake Tahoe and was mainly filmed at the MontBleu casino, called the "Nomad Casino" in the film. It received mixed reviews from critics who praised its cast, originality and soundtrack but criticized its violence, pacing and writing, but grossed $57 million at the box office against a $17 million production budget, making it a success and spawning a direct-to-video prequel, Assassins' Ball, produced and co-written by Carnahan. It was Alicia Keys' film debut, and Common's first featured role.
