“Ocean's Eleven”
"Ocean's Eleven" (PG-13) - LanguageThis has been out there for several weeks, but chances are you can still catch it at most major theaters. I'd suggest doing so.
TV's George Clooney plays a hard-boiled thief just being sprung from prison. Oddly enough, his name is Danny Ocean, same as the title of the movie!
He gets together with partner-in-crime Brad Pitt, and the pair set off to assemble 11 "players" to relieve three Las Vegas casinos of their cash.
The pace of "Ocean's Eleven" is brisk, the dialogue witty, and the cast is undeniably eclectic, to say the least.
Clooney and Pitt headline, and they are excellent together. The banter between those two alone is worth the price of admission. The talk is slick, the comebacks and zingers hit their marks, and all of the thieves involved are pretty clever with the tongue.
As always, Don Cheadle, in an uncredited role, is awesome, but the two brothers, both masters of disguise, are the biggest delight. The pair are played by Scott Caan (James's son) and Casey Affleck (Ben's brother). The two yak it up in every scene, gnawing and belittling each other until they are ready to lock horns.
This is an ensemble picture, so I guess you get lots of stars to play pretty roles, such as Julia Roberts, Matt Damon and Andy Garcia.
Damon is just there, Roberts is capable as the love interest, but underutilized, and Garcia is solid as the casino owner.
The movie even brings in old-timers Elliot Gould and Carl Reiner, who is excellent in his role as an old, retired thief playing a rich, German gambler.
If you get a chance, check it out. It's a lot of fun, as long as you don't take it too seriously. I got the impression from watching the movie that the actors had a lot of fun making it.
Score: DM 90, DT 84