Ocean's Eleven
  
reviewed by Doug
Schneider It’s hard to believe that director Steven Soderbergh was once considered
an independent filmmaker, back in the days of his breakout film Sex, Lies and Videotape.
But that’s all changed. With the expected success of Erin Brokovich (because
of star Julia Roberts) and the surprise success of Traffic (because who would have
thought that a film about drug trafficking would be that well received by audiences), both
in the same year, he’s now part of the Hollywood elite. Still, he’s keeping
fairly true to his roots. Despite the fact that with this movie he is creating something
that will sell for Hollywood (read: commercial hit), he does it better than most other
directors today would.
Ocean’s Eleven stars George Clooney, Brad Pitt,
Matt Damon, and a host of others (most of whom have appeared in previous Soderbergh films)
and is a remake of a 1960 film starring Frank Sinatra, Dean Martin, and Sammy Davis Jr.
Clooney plays the role of Daniel Ocean, a full-time thief. The word eleven in the title
refers to the number of people he needs to recruit to pull off the robbery of all
robberies. The goal is to rob not just one Las Vegas casino, but three. What’s nice
about the film is that it uses real-life locations including the Bellagio, Mirage, and MGM
Grand hotels. Some may wonder if it is good publicity for these hotels to be depicted in a
robbery, but remember the old saying that any publicity is good publicity -- and they get
a lot of publicity here.
What transpires is a fairly by-the-book thriller where the group masterminds this
incredibly complex caper. It’s this part that disappointed me. The film is
entertaining, that’s for sure, but it’s all too slick and works out just too
well. I know it’s the movies and you’re expected to suspend your disbelief, but
a lot of this is so farfetched that it makes something like Shrek look believable.
As a result, there isn’t all that much suspense. On the flip side, Soderbergh makes
up for it with slick direction, fine cinematography, and wonderful editing (Soderbergh
loves the use of flashbacks to forward a story). What also helps this film along is the
dialogue. There’s some really snappy stuff being said and that’s where most of
the fun lies.
Ocean’s Eleven is a nice diversion for an evening and a safe movie bet for
your buying dollars. However, know that Soderbergh is capable of much better. About three
years ago he directed a wonderful crime thriller called Out of Sight starring
George Clooney and Jennifer Lopez. I know people who won’t watch that movie just
because Clooney and Lopez star in it, thinking it’s a cheesy made-for-TV movie or
something. They’re only cheating themselves because it’s easily a ****1/2 film
with real suspense, even better dialogue, and, most importantly, a very compelling story.
In comparison, Ocean’s Eleven comes across as a pale imitation and only gets a
***1/2 rating. |
