Ocean's Eleven (2001)

Directed by  : Steven Soderbergh
Written by    : Ted Griffin, George Clayton Johnson, Jack Golden Russel, Harry Brown, Charles Lederer
Starring       : George Clooney, Brad Pitt, Matt Damon, Andy Garcia, Julia Roberts
Also starring : Elliot Gould, Bernie Mac, Casey Affleck, Scott Caan, Eddie Jemison, Shaobo Qin, Carl Reiner
Remake Of     : Ocean's Eleven (1960)
Sequel         : Ocean's Twelve (2004)
Sequel         : Ocean's Thirteen (2007)

Remakes generally have a poor reputation, usually a well-deserved poor reputation. Often this is due to the film-makers deciding to re-make a classic piece of film such as “Planet Of The Apes”, inevitably it's difficult for a remake to live up to a highly-regarded original. “Ocean's Eleven” is different from most other remakes, due to the simple fact that instead of choosing a great piece of cinema to remake, it instead remakes a forgotten (and reportedly mediocre) Frank Sinatra film. The original film may be obscure now, but it is likely to be quite some time until the remake is forgotten.

The plot is simple, Danny Ocean (George Clooney), a veteran criminal, wants to rob a Las Vegas casino (which also holds the taking of two other casinos) of approximately $150 Million. In classic heist movie fashion he assembles a crew of devious but likeable criminals with varying skills. These include his old friend Rusty Ryan (Brad Pitt), pickpocket Linus Caldwell (Matt Damon), casino employee Frank Catton (Bernie Mac) and gymnast Yen (Shaobo Qin). The plans are laid meticulously, but a complication arises when Ryan realises that Ocean's motivation for robbing the casino is that owner Terry Benedict (Andy Garcia) is dating Ocean's ex-wife Tess (Julia Roberts).

The plot is entertaining, but the main focus of the movie is on being stylish. The dialogue is laid-back, witty and effortlessly cool, while the direction is fast-moving – keeping up the excitement and the tension as the heist is executed. The high-profile cast is excellent, giving the impression that all the actors really enjoyed making the film. The characters are likeable, even if some of them don't have much screen time and there are some clever scenes – such as the montage of the three most successful attempts to rob a Vegas casino. The result of all this is that the film is continually entertaining and compelling.

In summary, a simple, straightforward but highly entertaining heist film.

Rating : 8 / 10

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All content ©2003-2007 William Marnoch.

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