Flipping the switch on Sin City

Rating: 7/10 (15 October 2007)

Sharp, canny, dashing remake of the Frank Sinatra Rat Packer from 1960 about the ultimate Las Vegas heist. Master thief George Clooney and pal Brad Pitt enlist a disparate group of con-artists to rob billionaire casino owner Andy Garcia of his millions in his highly-guarded vault--and, just for good measure, his girl too. Wonderfully fast and hip, with a sleek direction by Steven Soderbergh (who never stops teasing the audience) and a glittering array of stars and character actors, all of whom get a good slice of the pie. Of course, the byzantine (and expensive) plot these guys concoct could never be duplicated in reality--and that outlandishness does spoil some of the fun. Still, the cartoony way this motley crew takes over the Bellagio, with Soderbergh's camera zipping around the action like a fox, provides high entertainment the whole way through. *** from ****