Smooth, Suave & Gritty

Rating: 8/10 (13 July 2007)

I was highly skeptical about O13. Ever since the disappointment of O12, I surmised that this series is finished. Soderburgh did not have anything more to give with regards to Danny Ocean and his crew. How wrong I was. He produced the greatest trick up his sleeve. His Ace, Al Pacino. Putting Al Pacino as a negative character as well as Andy Garcia as a pseudo negative role, Soderburgh wins over the audience.
O13 has the simplest of all plots. Something that any man can relate to. One of the eleven is bullied out of his own plans to make a hotel (Elliout Gould) by a high flying business man, known as dirtiest player in his game,(Al Pacino). He bullies Reuben Tishkoff from his own dreams, which results in his heart attack, and he is admitted to a hospital. So, the eleven conspire to take him down, and they put up with a plan that is a dream of every casino goer. They create an atmosphere for 3.5 minutes where every player in the casino wins. Admittedly however vague and idiotic it sounds, they do this very well, and that brings about a smile in your face.
Like in the first movie it was Danny Ocean(George Clooney), Rusty Ryan(Brad Pitt) in the second its Linus Caldwell's (Matt Damon) turn for lady luck. His part is a assistant/secretary for a rich Japanese client,(Shaobo Kin) as well as a translator. He seduces Al Pacino's right hand man or rather woman, Abigail Sponder.
Like the first movie, this one has a detailed plot, with a slick way to steal the cash off. In the end, when Terry Benedict(Andy Garcia) tried to pull one over them, they fool him over once again. There's a small cameo by Vincent Cassel although I hardly felt it was necessary. Maybe Soderburgh was thinking of ending this trilogy with this one, but I hardly think he succeeded in doing that. You cannot end Ocean's trilogy without Julia Roberts and Catherine-Zeta Jones. For all those who are moaning their absence from this movie, Danny Ocean makes it a point that they would not be involved in this heist since it was a matter of avenging their friend and not any normal job.
The acting yet again is superb. Geroge Clooney, Brad Pitt and Matt Damon who are the lead roles in this movie are really good. Especially Matt Damon, who gets a bit of extra reel space due to his supposed affair with Ellen Barkin's character. The rest of the crew, Elliout Gould, Bernie Mac, Don Cheadle, Casey Affleck, Carl Reiner, Shaobo Kin, Scott Caan and Eddie Jameson all have small parts that they do with perfection. Elliout Gould does a fine job of playing the guy in bed, unattached from the world. Don Cheadle, is the one preparing the huge magnetic device, who has a finer aspect of character of writing a poem for the bed ridden Reuben Tishkoff, to help him feel better. The usual animosity between the Malloy brothers, Casey Affleck and Scott Caan is missing, but even then working together for a change they do a fine job of it. Carl Reiner and Shabo Kin probably has the smallest of parts in the movie. Shaobo Kin's role is basically a rich Japanese aristocrat who orders Linus Caldwell about. Carl Reiner posing as a undercover agent for the 5-Star Diamond Awards also has little to offer. Eddie Jameson does a great job solving the codes for the blackjack and working as an employee in Al Pacino's(Willy Banks) hotel. But lastly, no one is more brilliant than Bernie Mac. He basically has 2 scenes to his credit. And even in those 2 scenes he stands out brightly.
O13 is certainly not the best movie of the year, but it certainly is not the worse. It's a fun watch, but when is Danny Ocean and his crew not fun to watch !!!! The direction is good, the acting like always is up to a very high level. The cinematography is good, the background score very nice, special effects though used scantily was also superb. All in all 8/10 !!!