smart, funny, and full of style

Rating: Null/10 (26 August 2002)

Super slick and super cool, this film adds a lot of zest and style to the run-of-the-mill heist genre. Led by recently released ex-con and career criminal Clooney, the story spotlights a group of crooks from different backgrounds who come together and orchestrate the daring robbery of an up-scale Vegas casino owned by cold-blooded, Machiavellian business tycoon Garcia. Hip wardrobe, amusing dialogue and situations, and convincing plot twists make it lots of fun, though it tends to lose momentum and get bogged down in plot. Good performances all around in a heavyweight cast. Sharp, well-crafted, and stylishly directed by Soderbergh; fans of the actors will get their money's worth and then some. ***