Excellent

Rating: Null/10 (8 December 2001)

PLOT: A+ ACTING: A+ ACTION: A+ OVERALL: A+
I had been following the development of this film since day one: director Steven Soderbergh (Traffic, Erin Brockovich) and George Clooney teaming up post-Out Of Sight for a remake of an old Rat Pack flick called Ocean's Eleven. Now, two years later and sporting one of the most talented casts of actors and actresses ever assembled, I finally got to see the film I had been looking forward to. I was not disappointed, what I found was both entertaining and something other than a popcorn movie. This is one of the best films I've ever seen and I don't think I'm the only one who will end up saying that.
The story deals with Danny Ocean (George Clooney), a con-man just out of doing a stretch in a New Jersey prison. Anxious to get to work, he teams up with pal Dusty Ryan (Brad Pitt) and the two men hatch a plan to rob three Las Vegas casinos on the night of the biggest fight in Vegas history. Forming a team of specialists in a Mission: Impossible-esque fashion which includes: a Cockney demolition expert (Don Cheadle), a pair of bickering Mormon brothers (Casey Affleck and Scott Caan), a pickpocket (Matt Damon), an aged con (Carl Reiner), a blackjack dealer (Bernie Mac), an electronics expert (Edward Jemison), a Chinese acrobat (Shaobo Qin), and the men's bankroll (Elliott Gould), the eleven prepare the biggest heist of their lives on an un-crackable vault. As the story progresses and we watch the plot progress, we find out the vault is not the only winning on the table. Ocean's ex-wife, Tess (Julia Roberts), is currently the girlfriend Terry Benedict (Andy Garcia), the man who owns all three of the targeted casinos.
With such a cast of all-stars, it was worth the price of admission alone. Clooney, Pitt, Damon and Roberts, it's a dream come true. However, this film is not a dream, it is the real thing and will not disappoint. Each actor works superbly in the confines of their role, not trying to out act one another or take things too seriously. They are the perfection of cool and it's incredably entertaining to watch them act without breaking a sweat. For example, little mannerisms are worked into each character for depth and detail when the story cannot focus solely on them. Such a mannerism is that of Pitt's character, Dusty, he is eating something is every scene. Granted, I would to have loved to see more of each character (Roberts could have had a lot more to do), however, the film is not about these characters, it's about the heist. If it was an ensamble piece about eleven criminals robbing some casinos, the film would have been about two hours longer than it's two hours and fifteen minutes. Don't get me wrong, I would have loved to see more, but more isn't always better. Why can't more movies have a cast like this? Every actor took a pay cut just to be able to work with one another and have fun, which clearly shows. Everyone is having a good time. Not in the same way the Rat Pack did in the original (film for an hour and take the day off), just getting together to make a great film.
Of course it's not just the actors and actresses that add this flair to the film. It's the screenplay (written by Ted Griffin), musical score (David Holmes), and the direction/cinematography (Steven Soderbergh). The screenplay is sharp in it's dialogue and action, adding twists and turns and just a plain cool tone to the flick. The score is also something to notice, composed by Irish DJ David Holmes who once again teams up with director Steven Soderbergh (they previously worked with one another on Out Of Sight), gives us a score of funky jazz that I absolutely love. It really sets the whole mood. Finally, my hero, Oscar winner Steven Soderbergh provides excellent direction and gritty cinematography (he also shot Traffic himself) that gives us an excellent sense of location. The man is truly one of the grestest filmmakers ever. His influence is visible in much of today's cinema and if weren't for his first film, "sex, lies, and videotape", independent film would not be where it is today. I hope he gets another nomination and possibly another win. He learned not to come out with two great movies this time around. I should also mention that there is a likeness between this film and Soderbergh's Out of Sight. Is this a bad thing? In my opinion, no. Out of Sight is one of the best films I've ever seen, while Ocean's Eleven borrows some of it's style from it's predessor, it pays it's own way.
I had read the book and bought the soundtrack before I went to see the film. I even tried to watch the original, which to my surprise was drawn out and just a romp of excess. It was refreshing to find that Frank Sinatra, Dean Martin, Sammy Davis Jr., and Angie Dickinson had been replaced with such a talented cast of Clooney, Brad Pitt, Matt Damon, and Julia Roberts. I couldn't get enough of Ocean's Eleven and I still feel the same. My friends plan on going back again tomorrow (the day after opening night) for another showing. It's that good, one of the best films of the year. I can't wait for the DVD release.