Slick, punchy paced, light at heart and tone,
"Ocean's 11" promises big names and big entertainment
for the dollar - and delivers.
Danny Ocean (Clooney) rounds up 10 (hence the 11)
proper villain buddies in order to take the owner of three top Las
Vegas casinos for 160 million. But the take is only
half the fun, Ocean seeks to win back ex-girl Julia
Roberts from the unsuspecting kingpin (Garcia) as
well as his dough.
Talented likable actors populate this picture ...
it's almost a small town of strong stars. Even the
small names have grand talent: Casey Affect (yes,
Ben's brother) and Scott Caan, buffoon their way into
useful intelligence. Pitt and Clooney and Mack are
rock solid and the rest clearly enjoyable. If Roberts
is your only draw, a word of caution - she's a minor
character with minimal contributions to the
whole.
Somewhat formulaic in form, the film boasts a
brash unique stride, pride and smiling eye. Breaking
out of the gates strong, the best moments are in the
careful recruiting, planning, and build; in fact, the
actual execution and climax pass in a comparatively
lesser flash bringing rise to a few implausibilities.
An odd contrasting surreal resolutions follows.
Though each of the eleven are quirky and lovable,
none are very "changed" or developed. However, Matt
Damon does make a leap from the shaky likely-screw-up
to steadfast professional in 0.7 seconds.
Interestingly enough, the actual casino names were
used; I wondered why they would allow themselves to
be shown vulnerable. A good answer... because they
are not. Nonetheless, you'll find yourselves routing
for the criminals.
The movie classic dialogue repartee between
skilled actors, Joe Friday delivery coupled with
modern sarcasm and clipping pace keep "Ocean's 11" an
entertaining film and a nice night out.
Btw, The original 1960s picture cast Frank
Sinatra, Dean Martin, Sammy Davis Jr., Peter Lawford,
and Joey Bishop.
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