Customer Reviews

Smokin' Aces [Original Motion Picture Score]

5 star:		(3)
4 star:		(2)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(1)

 

 

I saw the Movie, and I loved the original composition which was present in many of the emotional scenes. Throughout the film, they'd use small snippets of popular songs, which were appropriate for the movie (Ace of Spaces, etc).

This OST took advantage of those snippets, and crammed these age-old tunes onto a CD and marketed them. Why in God's name would you pay $30+ dollars for an Audio CD with a random assortment of old music?

The original Orchestra composition present (Clint Mansell) in the film is almost entirely absent from this disk, comprising only TWO of the tracks on set-list.

The end scene had an especially moving and invigorating orchestra piece, which was not included in this soundtrack. It can be found at Clint Mansell's Myspace, entitled Dead Reckoning.

I am sorely disappointed in this OST, as it is hardly "Original" at all.

Former lead singer and guitarist of Pop Will Eat Itself, Clint Mansell matures into a Golden Globe nominated composer, and a winner of numerous awards for best original score for a film. I have previously sang praises to Mansell's musical scores to Darren Aronofsky's Pi, Requiem for a Dream, and, of course, The Fountain. Being in love with Mansell's melancholic modern classical pieces, which are perfectly complemented by the performance of The Kronos Quartet, I decided to grab the soundtrack to Smokin' Aces - I have not seen the film, and instead listened to the album "as is" - as music. From the first track I am immensed in haunting images that glide with that uneasy feeling of something lurking in the shadows, until it all explodes with tension breaks of silence. In the soundtrack he effortlessly controls the mood, dynamics, and even the genre of individual pieces. The orchestral accompaniment works very well with an organic big beat and a funky rhythm. The scenes switch, and so does the music. Forty five minutes of music take you through mental images driven by emotion saturated sound. Mansell is clearly a craftsman of his trade, and Smokin' Aces may be his most cinematic composition to date.

the movie was great. when i heard it in the movie, i was really drawn to it, esp the song "dead reckoning". its awesome. listen for yourself. it depends on your taste too.

I got this album as a gift and I absolutely love it, especially Dead Reckoning. Clint Mansell definitely outdid himself on this score and when you listen to thi soundtrack you feel the movie and it's like you're in the movie as well. Superb Job

I was incredibly tired the first time I watched Smoking Aces, and I actually dozed through about half the ending gunfight and the climactic revelation at the end, yet somehow an image of Ryan Reynolds sitting in a chair in defeat with some very compelling and somber music stayed with me, which was odd since the whole film seemed so flashy and cool and really anything but somber. I watched the movie a few days later to see what I missed, and without ruining anything else, the score's end just struck a chord, so much so I made a mental note to grab the soundtrack. Now I know why. The end theme is very similar to the main theme of Requiem for a Dream, one of my favorite soundtracks. Thank god I actually listened to snippets of the soundtrack, didn't hear what I was looking for, and saw there was a score, or I wouldn't have the ending theme. The rest of the score is very good, it added the right amount of tension and intensity when it was used in the film and it does stand well on its own. However, I do think Requiem is superior. Clint Mansell has this tendency to end tracks just as they seem to becoming the most interesting, which I hate and love in the same breath. If You liked the Requiem soundtrack and the movie Smoking Aces, you should check out this out.

On a side note, is this 3 year old album so rare that people are selling it for $150???? Really??? It's out of print already?

clint continues to amaze as a composer. its always quality and it never disappoints. the haunting stuff tugs at the heart strings and the rockin stuff gets your pulse racing. he helped make the aces what it was: a fun ride.

standout tracks for me: Shellshock and Dead Reckoning.

The item I received was NOT the score album. I received the original soundtrack, which is obviously easier to find than the score album. I have now attempted to purchase the score album for my husband three times--this time I thought I finally had it, and then Amazon sends me the wrong album...three days before Christmas. Thanks Amazon.