Ocean's Eleven Evaluation

Rating: 10/10 (15 April 2015)

Ocean's Eleven (2001) is a comedic film, based on the 1960 film Ocean's 11, about a group of thieves, led by Danny Ocean (George Clooney) and his accomplice Rusty (Brad Pitt) who rob The Bellagio casino in Las Vegas along with two other casinos that feed into its vault. The casinos are all owned by Terry Benedict (Andy Garcia) whom Danny has a personal dispute with. They are all very smart people who know how to play outside the law and win. The plot is cunning and The gang of thieves stress and collaborate together to pull off the perfect crime in this clever film.
I've seen this movie many times and every time I watch it, I still admire it. Ocean's Eleven is a witty and funny film that keeps you thinking up until the end of the movie. Every detail is perfectly placed in the movie and I still catch new important clues relating to the plot every time I watch it. It really plays with small details and the relationships that the characters have with each other. There is a perfect balance of fun and seriousness in their job and you can really tell that based on their conversations and interactions with each other. It's a brilliant film that I can watch again and again without boring myself.
This film is unique in the way it was filmed and edited. As Rusty and Danny explain exactly what they will be doing according to the plan, this film flashes to them enacting their plot as Rusty and Danny talk about it making it very neatly edited. It tricks you when it comes to time and location, making you really think about what is going on. I also love the cinematography of this film. It takes place in Las Vegas and you really get that when you're watching it. The dim lighting, and glamorous wardrobe selection really conveys what the film is trying to get across, as well as the characters as they are playing different roles. It's really the kind of film that makes you want to rob a Las Vegas casino. And who better than Brad Pitt and George Clooney to rob it with you? The cast is absolutely magnificent. It is picked perfectly with star studded actors. Each actor and actress plays their role exquisitely. The main character are introduced into the film showing exactly who they are and their distinct personality right off the bat, and you love each of the characters instantly. They are all quirky and have their own little comedic mannerisms and actions that just add to the hilarity of the film.
I've seen other con-like robbery movies but this movie really is my favorite. There are even two sequels to Ocean's Eleven and I still keep this one close to heart. This movie reminds me of another robbery film, Inside Man (2006) with Denzel Washington and Clive Owen. Now this movie is more intense than Ocean's Eleven and is not a comedy like it, but it does share some of the same features. Both of these movies deceive you in the plot just as the characters have deceived their robbery victims. In Inside man, Clive Owen pulls off the perfect bank robbery just as Clooney, Pitt, and their crew did in Ocean's Eleven. I love both movies but I really enjoyed the comedic appeal that the Ocean's Eleven added to something serious like robbing a place. It really makes it more entertaining for the audience and makes you love the quirky characters even more.
This movie is simply a delight to watch. I could watch marathons of these movies and still wish I had more to watch. Clooney and Pitt steal the show in this film and lead us through this funny and smart plot effortlessly. The whole idea of this movie is simply gold and the whole cast shows us that throughout every scene. I really think highly of this film and encourage anyone who hasn't seen it to take the time to watch it. I would also suggest watching its sequels, Ocean's Twelve (2004) and Ocean's Thirteen (2007), as they are written just as perfectly as the first one.