What a pack of thieves!!!......

Rating: Null/10 (7 February 2002)

We've all seen and heard great and not-so-great stories or films about big thefts, great robbers and their abilities (in most of the cases) to fulfill impossible missions and also making us (in some good way) identify ourselves with characters not supposed to be doing good things after all. Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid (1970), Bonnie and Clyde (1968), Bandits (2001) are only few samples of such lovely connection.
This time we have "Ocean's Eleven" the follow-up and highly anticipated film from the critically acclaimed and academy award winning director of "Traffic", Steven Soderbergh who makes a truly enjoyable movie and accepts the challenge (like not so many directors) to take this group of big stars to work this good as a big team for a big production.
The story is simple. Danny Ocean (George Clooney) is a nice modern gangster who rounds up a gang of associates to make a huge theft of the three major Las Vegas casino's (Bellagio, The Mirage, and the MGM Grand) simultaneously during a boxing event. These gang associates are form by good actors such as Brad Pitt, Andy Garcia, Julia Roberts, Matt Damon, Carl Reiner, Elliot Gould among others.
Director Soderbergh makes a very light and all-around well-done film with a very nice comic atmosphere that has no exaggerations in its plot.

The cinematography is very elegant and pretty effective for night-time in Las Vegas' environment. And finally, but not the least, the actors performances which without any hesitation you could say that are one of the better all-around cast performances seen for a long time.
The only observation I would say it is the fact that there are very few sections of the movie where there's a little bit of extra fantasy for certain situations but Mr. Soderbergh cover them all with a sense of humor that is truly magical.
Robinson Almanzar.