caper flick with great characters

Rating: 9/10 (22 December 2006)

I don't _think_ this contains a spoiler, but am playing it safe.
An engrossing, funny caper movie. I saw it in theaters when it came out, and liked it just as much seeing it on cable tonight. The casting is very good, across the board, and it's fairly clear that everyone involved is having a lot of fun (Carl Reiner and Don Cheadle especially). I find that something essential to a caper, or gambit, movie, is that violence is restrained, and con artistry is involved. Also essential is an ensemble cast that works well together. This remake succeeds on both counts. One thing that I find interesting is that many people who comment on this film don't seem to be able to count: Ocean's 11 is Ocean plus the 11 others in his platoon, not 10. Possible spoiler: if you do the math, the booty divided by 11 does not equal the proposed cut. It equals the booty divided by (Ocean+11) ie. 12. Soderbergh plays a LOT of games with the viewer, and you practically have to see it a second time to figure it out -- his tribute to Kubrick. Every member of Ocean's platoon is crucial to the gambit, but they flicker in and out of visibility -- another aspect of great gambit flicks. Some of the 11 do a lot, and others do only small but critical things. Working this out is a big part of the fun of the movie. Trivia: the first Ocean's Eleven was an inspiration for a great reggae classic.