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Reviewed by Ivana Redwine
Tagline: "Are you in or out?" Length:
116 minutes I usually don't like heist movies, but I loved "Ocean's Eleven" (2001). This film is not high art, but it is pure entertainment. This highly engaging movie is a remake of the 1960 film of the same title that starred Frank Sinatra. The earlier "Ocean's Eleven" featured the star power of the Rat Pack (Sinatra, Dean Martin, Peter Lawford, Sammy Davis Jr., and Joey Bishop) and was set against the backdrop of their native habitat, Las Vegas, but aside from that, the film didn't have much going for it. The new "Ocean's Eleven" is one of those rare remakes where the original pales by comparison. Stylishly directed by Steven Soderbergh, the 2001 version of "Ocean's Eleven" has an all-star cast that includes George Clooney, Brad Pitt, Andy Garcia, Julia Roberts, Matt Damon, Casey Affleck, Scott Caan, Don Cheadle, Bernie Mac, Elliott Gould, and Carl Reiner. Although the plot of "Ocean's Eleven" is flimsier than many a musical's, the script is otherwise so skillfully crafted you might not notice that the story's logic threatens to vaporize and float away. Danny Ocean (Clooney), assisted by his old buddy Rusty Ryan (Pitt), assembles a team that consists of eleven men, and they set out to rob three Las Vegas casinos (Bellagio, MGM Grand, and Mirage). There's more than just money at stake for Danny: he also tries to win back his ex-wife Tess (Roberts), who has become the girlfriend of Terry Benedict (Garcia), owner of the three casinos. The charisma of the actors and the overall look of the film bring everything up a notch. Both Brad Pitt and George Clooney glide through the scenes they are in as the embodiment of modern masculine suave and cool. But my real favorite is Carl Reiner, who steals every scene he is in. The cinematography (by Steven Soderbergh under the pseudonym of Peter Andrews) is slick, creative, and has a visually seductive glamour, evoking a vision of Las Vegas as a kind of grown-up playground where the normal rules of reality don't apply and where anything is possible. It's no wonder that "Ocean's Eleven" was able to get the cooperation it needed for location shooting! The DVD has some interesting extras, including theatrical trailers and two commentary tracks. The commentary with director Steven Soderbergh and writer Ted Griffin provides insights into the filmmaking and writing processes, but at times the patter is so self-consciously glib that it grated on my nerves. Although the commentary with actors Brad Pitt, Matt Damon, and Andy Garcia has moments where it sounds like a love fest, I found it to be the more enjoyable commentary because it is fun, relaxed, and freewheeling. Selected Special Features on the DVD:
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