Wild and involving

Rating: Null/10 (11 May 2004)

I remember hearing that Ocean's 11 was supposed to be a good movie, so when I had the chance to borrow it from a friend, I was glad to.
I ended up watching it twice right in a row.
Sometimes the danger with so many big name stars in a movie is that they all try to show off, and may not work well together. I didn't get that impression at all in this one. With Clooney being the main character, the others seem plenty happy to play supporting roles. Characters are dry - but that's how' they're supposed to be - and do a good job of interacting while still remaining individuals. It always feels like they are hiding something. You expect a surprise around every corner.
The way they work out their heist is a very smooth operation - but not TOO smooth. There are the natural inconveniences that make the characters seem more real, not the perfectly polished characters sometimes seen in this type of movie. Yet other 'mistakes' turn out to be exactly what they planned. See if YOU can tell which is which the first time through....
I watched it twice because a couple of the twists caught me so off-guard that I had to go back and see if I could see them coming. Nothing in this movie was wasted.
This is a movie to watch and really get involved in, not to casually watch while doing something else. I look forward to seeing what the sequel brings. I really hope they can match the intensity of this one.
4.5 out of 5