Ocean's 11 STARRING: George Clooney, Brad Pitt, Julia Roberts, Matt Daemon, Andy Garcia |
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Steven Snyder |
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| Hollywood seems preoccupied with kleptomania. Already in 2001, Frank Oz’s “The Score,” and David Mamet’s “Heist” have focused on the clichéd “one big score.” Steven Soderbergh’s “Ocean’s 11” is the newest concoction of this familiar recipe, and soars beyond any heist movie in recent memory. It is not focused on a formula, but in creating a style all its own. With a sizeable, talented cast, a director intent on being a player in the action and a climax of surprising intelligence and restraint, “Ocean’s 11” is sure to be the future barometer for all similar films to come. Danny Ocean (George Clooney) has just been released from prison and immediately sets sights on the biggest score ever conceived—three casinos in one night totaling over $100 million. He meets his old friend Dusty Ryan (Brad Pitt) and they assemble a gang of eleven robbers from every walk of life to help with the heist. Already, within ten minutes of the credits, “Ocean’s 11” has taken an approach rarely pursued. Most movies revolve around a small, intimate, testosterone-filled grouping. “Ocean’s 11” primary cast of thirteen delivers a most unexpected plethora of personality and uniqueness in a bare minimum of screen time. Clooney is the slick, confident mastermind that never doubts his plan. Pitt, always eating something greasy, is the loyal sidekick that helps with the execution. Julia Robert’s performance, as Ocean’s ex-wife, is particularly amazing as only minutes of screen time embody volumes of nuance for what would traditionally be a throwaway character. This group’s success can most be felt at the end, as the true climax is not in the robbery, but in this the group assembling one last time, with pride of their accomplishment before going their separate ways. With any other group of actors, such an ending would seem excessively sappy. Soderbergh adds to the cast’s style with a visual flare that will immediately hook any viewer. The film looks beautiful, successfully using the skyline of Vegas, the casino floor, and the interior lighting. The fades from one scene to another are often done with circles or wipes that give “Ocean’s 11” almost a comic book feel. The ending sequence, in which the crooks must make the impossible escape out of the casino, develops not with explosions but with a card shark’s slight of hand. In putting the audience in the casino manager’s (Andy Garcia) shoes, we are duped by an intelligent film that boasts a climax worthy of its labored set-up. And this is “Ocean’s” 11 secret formula for success-a continuously entertaining work that wisely invests in more than a predictable conclusion. Will Ocean’s band succeed? Like all action film protagonists, odds point to yes. However, there is so much more to watch for than that—the charismatic characters, unexpected bumps in the road, and a rising director near the top of his game.
Comments by David Johnson I think Ocean's Eleven is a genuinely fun movie. Not fun as in most fun movies, where the movie was simply eye candy for two hours, but the characters and the plot and the style all lent itself to being an enjoyable expierence. Granted this was not the kind movie that will change the way you think, but it is the kind of movie leaves you with a smile. I think each part of the movie was executed well, so I'll leave with a brief commentary on each part. First off, the direction. Soderburgh is a talented man. A talented man at making a movie slick, and making it enjoyable. He is an artist with the camera. However, he is still and always will be a Hollywood director. A director without any inisght. I'm confident that he could direct any movie and make it fun, enjoyable, and get every camera angle right. However, I doubt that he could ever come close to having the vision that Requiem for a Dream has. Perhaps that is what turned people off to this movie, and what I thought would turn me off to it. Being an ultra indie elitist, I usually find movies that don't do something new to be boring. But this movie instead of doing something new, he did all the old stuff right. So I salute him, this movie lived up to my expectations. I will see his movies again. Perhaps there is something to be said for a director who can simply make a very well done movie that can keep your attention. There are two types of popular actors. Those who are popular because of an image, and those that are popular because acting ability. The cast of Ocean's Eleven, is cast partially in both. The tone and slickness of the movies requires that the actors be able to portray that slickness. However, the actors in this film, where chosen as a healthy balance between image and acting ability. Matt Daemon, Brad Pitt and George Clooney are all actors that have proven themselves. And Julia Roberts...well, technicaly she has proven herself as well, although I still hold Erin Brochavic against her as a person. I think the best part of the movie was the feel of it. The whole movie put you in the thieves position. It does an excellent job of making it so that you really feel that it would not only be fun if the bad guys won, but they would also be deserving. That is the magic that comes from Ocean's Eleven. It's a fun movie, with characters that are enjoyable. The ending isn't a cop out, and the surprise is made realistic because you know how cunning and slick the characters are. In the end the movie may not change your life, but it's a movie that dwells in the enjoyable -- it has a classic plot that thrills in the joys of getting into an interesting plot with interesting characters.
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