one of the best heist capers films

Rating: 7/10 (14 December 2013)

Clooney and Pitt are a great duo; they have great chemistry, comic timing and are just an attractive pair. The plot is eleven men who are robbing one of the biggest casinos in Vegas on fight night for a possible bag of $150million, split between them. It's a completely ensemble cast including Elliot Gould, Casey Affleck, Scott Caan, Bernie Mac, Matt Damon and Julia Roberts amongst others. It's clever, witty, multi-layered and something of a film that you can watch again and again and see more things each time. It's one that I had to watch a few times to get the entire plot and each time I see it I don't remember the full points so it's a good yarn. The writers were brilliant.
It's shot excitingly, with lots of crisp cuts, and jumping between scenes using a split screen occasionally, giving it a retro feel. The plot is convoluted enough that it's believable, if a little slick (given it's got Pitt and Clooney in it that's a given), with some clever time wasters to ramp up the tension, and I just adore Brad Pitt's characterisation - he's ALWAYS eating! Don Cheadle (uncredited, apparently due to a disagreement) is a funny Britt who speaks primarily in cockney rhyming slang is a bit of a hoot as well. The thrill of this film is in the details - silly little things that you might miss. It's a great watch and I thoroughly recommend it as tense comedic entertainment for everyone. I like this film a lot.