Could Be Better, Could Be Worse

Rating: 6/10 (27 April 2005)

After having seen this movie more than eight times (not by choice), I've come to realize that the original unfavorable reviews I read were correct: this film is not much better than mediocre. That's not to say that the film is terribleit's notor that you shouldn't watch ityou shouldbut rather that it has many flaws, some of them glaring.
Ask most people why they saw the movie, and they'll say something like "It has George Clooney and Brad Pitt in it," or "It has Julia Roberts in it," or "Stephen Soderbergh directed it." Ocean's Eleven is a "People Magazine" reader's dream come true. So many celebrities in one movie: what bliss! The point is that Ocean's Eleven is not meant to be strong on character, or plot; it's meant to be strong on Star Power. In fact, it's surprising that there is a plot, such as it is. It follows the new Blockbuster code: Hot Bad Guys who are actually Good Guys want to steal money from crooked, mean Big Businessman; they make elaborate plans, use fancy equipment, and ultimately...but we all know the ending. Soderbergh may court the strange, the offbeat, the underbelly of society, but he also knows that when making an action movie one should not deviate too much from the tried-and-true. He gives us what we want, and more.
George Clooney and Brad Pitt as Danny Ocean and Rusty Ryan, respectively, are the most likable of the bunch. They have a rapport that either is natural, or was rehearsed so effectively and so well that it became natural. They're like Laurel and Hardy, only with stubble and expensive suits. They eat each other's lines, insult each other, show off in front of each otherin some ways they're a more compelling couple than Clooney and Roberts.
Incidentally, Julia Roberts, apparently confusing Tess Ocean with Erin Brockovich, gives an intensity to her role of The Chick that is entirely inappropriate. This is an action movie, not a chance to win another Oscar. She speaks words like she's chopping onions: short, quick, and full of force. Of course, her dramatic skill is unquestionable, but in this case a lighter touch would have been more fitting. I can understand her desire (if she had it) of wanting to give more weight to her role as Clooney's ex-wife and Andy Garcia's new girlfriend; it must be frustrating to be a piece of meat that men fight over. But she should have been more perceptive to the genre of the movie and its requirements. In action movies, chicks should look hot and be tough; they shouldn't be too serious.
The fact is, we hardly ever think of Roberts (or any of the other Big Names) as anything but who they are off the set. Although Garcia calls Roberts "Tess" several times, somehow the name always rings false. The other cast members, being less famous, have the advantage of being able to play their characters more convincingly.
This movie was a remake of another all-star movie made in 1960. (I've been unable to see more than snippets, and where I live I'm not able to rent it.) Most reviews refer to this previously made film, but the fact is that Soderbergh's Ocean's Eleven is its own entity. We should judge it not based on its predecessor, but on its own meritsunfortunately too few.
When I first saw this movie, it was in Spain, dubbed in Spanish, and I thought it was well made, well acted, and generally better than most action movies. (Of course, I was on a date at the time, so I wasn't scrutinizing every detail.) Upon subsequent viewing, however, this movie's imperfections only become more glaring. It's too bad. Although you won't think you've wasted two hours if you watch it, this movie is not one that you'll return to over and over againthat kind of film where each time you see it you discover more of the director's ingenuity, the actors' skill, the screenwriter's craft. This movie is good for a quick laugh and a thrill, but, like birthday cake, it's not ultimately what satisfies your hunger.