Ocean's Eleven (2001)

Jackpot.

Slick, cool, stylish. Danny Ocean is going to rob three casinos in one night, all of which are owned by the same man. To do this he's gonna need a team, a team of the most lighthearted criminals on the planet. They'll need wits, they'll need brains, and they'll need a heck of allota character developement.

From director Steven soderbergh comes an extremely fun, if not rather confusing story about a bank heist, the likes of which you will prbably never see again.

For the sake of being honest and fair I think I'll start on the negative note. This film is sprinkled with some small problems, the largest of which is that the viewer has to stretch their mind like laffy taffy in order to understand the endings twist. The reason this flaw does not ruin the movie is because it doesn't really change the outcome, fortunately for anybody who doesn't want to hurt their minds just to understand the film.
One of the smaller flaws of the film is that it often relies on face-recognition in order to understand what is currently going on. A viewer might have t ask somebody "who is that again?" to understand a specific scene. All the negative parts of this movie revolve around lack of clarity, though this does not, in anyway ruin the movie, or make it completely incomprehensible.

Now for the good stuff. "Oceans 11" is filled to the brim with laughs, good acting, taste, style and.., well Vegas. The film dazzles the screen with lights, enough flash to catch the eye, enough class to stay cool.
I must particularly congratulate George Clooney, Julia Roberts, Andy Garcia and Don Cheadle for their contribution to the movies characters, bringing them to life, each with their own distinction. The casting for the film was amazing, all the way down to the small roles. Each character was memorable, and fun to remember, full of personality, but also well developed, so the audience can feel a connection with them.

Overall I would say "Oceans is very much worth a watch, definitely a good movie (and series) to watch in the summer, at the beach maybe.

Maybe even playing some cards....... maybe.

8/10 stars.



July 2, 2008

A brilliant remake.

I was expecting greatness from this movie considering the all star cast.
I got greatness to the max.
Great acting, great script, great action, great pacing,
GREAT!
GREAT!!
GREAT!!!
What is NOT to love about this movie?
Brilliant from start to finish, a masterpiece and a must see/must own.
Recommended.
June 24, 2008

BEST MOVIE EVER

This movie is probably one of my favorite ones, the condition was excellent and the plot and every character is flawless....I'm not a fan of Oceans 12, but Oceans 11 definitely got my attention :-) May 5, 2008

There is just something about this movie that doesn't work...

I will admit that the casting here is delicious (that applies, right?) and so my appetite was wet and my interest was peaked long before sitting in the theater. George Clooney, at the time, was one of my favorite actors (he's suffered from overexposure for me; 2005 did it for me) and you can't deny the charm and appeal of actors like Brad Pitt, Matt Damon and the undeniably brilliant Julia Roberts. Add to the mix funnyman Bernie Mac as well as brilliant actors like Andy Garcia and Don Cheadle, not to mention a slew of young actors like Casey Affleck (who would have ever thought he'd rise from this to become `Robert Ford'), Topher Grace and James Caan's son Scott and you have yourself guaranteed success; right?

I would think you, so sadly there is just something about this movie that doesn't work. I think the main issue is that when all is said and done `Ocean's Eleven' is just not that memorable. Sure, the cast is great and everyone does a superb job. Sure, the plot is decent and the dialog and funny, but in the end it all just kind of rests there, never `popping' so-to-speak. I just expected to be wowed and I truly wasn't.

It was kind of dull.

The plot revolves around Danny Ocean, recently released from prison, who bands together with his ten partners in crime to knock off three successful Las Vegas casinos. Sure, the money is a huge bonus, but the real reason for the caper is to win back Ocean's ex-wife Tess who is now attached to the owner of these casinos, Terry Benedict. Benedict is not only money hungry but he's ruthless and thus it makes the job all the more difficult for Ocean and his crew.

Director Steven Soderbergh is good at extracting wonderful performances from his cast (just look at the effortlessness that permeated the sets of `Traffic' and `Erin Brockovich') and here is no different. George Clooney is his charming, natural self (I much prefer this side of him to his over praised dramatic work) and Brad Pitt is actually quite funny. Julia Roberts is really the heart and soul of this film though. From the minute she walks on the screen the film turns on its head. But even she can't save it from mediocrity. The film as a whole just doesn't do anything special, it doesn't become anything memorable. In the end it is nothing more than a decent buddy flick with some laughs. It's not a movie you can really enjoy multiple times, which is sad to say since the cast alone should have guaranteed the films longevity.

I have yet to see the two sequels, yet I hear this is the best of the three so it's not a good sign. A lot of people enjoyed this movie, but it appears after reading many of the reviews that they feel as I do. Sure, this film has its moments and it is in no way shape or form a bad movie. It is fun and it is enjoyable, but when it's over you won't be aching to watch it again. April 2, 2008

Fun not serious

It isn't a great work of art but a lot of fun to watch when you just want to relax and be entertained. January 26, 2008

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