How to remove ALL suspense from a movie

Rating: 3/10 (22 May 2005)

I can't comment on the entire film as I turned it off in utter boredom after only 40 minutes. First, when Benedict comes to find the 11, one by one, in different cities in undramatic (except for where he shows up at Danny & Tess's place), there is just no threat, peril, or drama whatsoever. He calmly requests to be re-payed. I guess the treat is implied by the use of his new cane.
Later, the thieves (yes all ELEVEN, one by one) go though how much money they individually owe-a good time to leave, get popcorn, do your taxes. Later, Brad Pitt suggests they just turn themselves in. Instead they decide to do several small heists to pay back what they owe. Why don't they just disappear again? This is like 'what not to do', Drama 101. All the scenes in the hotel room where the 11 are figuring out what to do feel real. Really real. Like you're watching a group of boring, everyday people muddle around, deciding what to wear to dinner.
Question to Steven Soderbergh: Why doesn't Benedict kidnap Tess and give them a week to come up with the money or he'll kill her? At least the stakes would be higher. Then the idea of an interpol-type group being concerned with a gentleman thief like the fox (instead of terrorists,etc.) was just too much. They could have solved this by having Catherine ZJ work for an insurance concern or private collector instead. I had to turn it off then. This movie truly sucked.