The Diva's "Ocean's 11" Review

(click here to skip to this movie's rating) Ocean's 11 (2001) Viewed at Pacific Place Rated PG-13;running time of 120 minutes. Directed by:Steven Soderbergh Written by:Ted Griffin, based on the 1960 screenplay by Harry Brown and Charles Lederer Starring:George Clooney, Brad Pitt, Julia Roberts, Casey Affleck, Scott Caan, Don Cheadle, Matt Damon, Andy Garcia, Elliott Gould, Carl Reiner, Shaobo Qin, Eddie Jemison, Bernie Mac Genre:Action/Thriller/Crime WARNING - SPOILERS BELOW. The Digest Danny Ocean has just been release from prison and is ready to get on with his life and be a good citizen... or so he told the New Jersey parole board. He does want to get on with his life, but he is by no means doing it by being a good citizen. Danny isn't out more than a day when he is trying to assemble a crew to hit a casino vault. Not just any casino mind you, but The Bellagio. Why the Bellagio?The vault in The Bellagio hold all the money for The MGM Grand, The Mirage and The Bellagio itself. And and there is a law that states that each casino must have enough cash in their vault to cover the amount of cash being spent by all of the patrons. On average this is 60 million, but on a night when there is a boxing match, this balloons to 170 million. So this is Danny's plan. He wants to hit the vault when it is holding about 170 million, but to do this he has to have the best. His team consists of the following people: Danny Ocean himself (George Clooney). Danny is the "Idea Man" he comes up with the grand ideas and his team figures out how to implement them. Rusty Ryan (Brad Pitt). Rusty is "The Pro". He is mainly a card shark, but he knows how to get over on the system, he also knows who is best suited for which job. If you want the job done right, you make sure that Rusty is in charge. Reuben Tishkoff(Elliot Gould) - "The Bankroll". Reuben has a bone to pick with "The Target" he dislikes him so much that he is supplying all the money needed to bankroll this hit. Frank Catton(Bernie Mac)- "The Inside Man". Frank is a blackjack dealer with a criminal past. He gets inside the hotel as a dealer and finds out as much information about the employees so they can unwittingly used to pull of the heist. Linus Caldwell (Matt Damon) - "The Rookie" Linus is a talented pickpocket who is new on the scene. He is trying to live up to the legacy of his father. Linus has been put in place to tail "The Target" and find out as much as he can about him, as well as, steal/pick anything they need. Turk and Virgil Malloy (Scott Caan and Casey Affleck)"The Getaway" Turk and Virgil can drive anything. They are also able to disguise themselves and blend in. They will be used to drive the getaway car and to perform various diversion and tasks. Basher Tarr(Don Cheadle) "The Bomber" if it can be blown up, Basher can do it. He is the explosives and electronics expert. Saul Bloom (Carl Reiner) - "The Highroller" Saul is an expert confidence man and excels in impersonating false identities. His job is to play high stakes games and gain the trust of the "The Target" Livingston Dell(Eddie Jemison ) "The Eye in the Sky" Livington is an audio/visual expert. He will be tasked with hi-jacking the video surveillance system. Yen (Shaobo Qin) -"The Grease Man" Yen, a contortionist and acrobat is responsible for getting into the tight places that no one else can. Terry Benedict(Andy Garcia)"The Target" > Danny and his crew have decided to hit Terry's casino. This is a huge risk because if they are caught, Terry will not rest until they and everyone they hold dear are destroyed. Tess Ocean(Julia Roberts)-"The Wild Card" Danny's ex-wife and Terry's current girlfriend. She knows that Danny is up to something and it remains to be seen whether or not she'll help him or rat him out. So now, Danny has the best of the best. Can the best do it? It's not enough to be able to commit the crime, they have to trust each other and trust that they will all be smart enough not to get caught after the fact. The Dish I just love it when a "smart" film comes along. One that will make you laugh without resorting to bathroom humor. One that keeps you engaged, interested, and wanting more. "Ocean's 11" was all of this and more. It was sort of a throw back to older movies where the characters relied on the brains, good looks and luck, not their guns. There was almost zero violence in this movie and absolutely no blood or gore. Heck, there were hardly any serious curse words. I think the "f-word" was said once maybe twice. I also love it when an ensemble piece works. A good share of the credit for this has to go to Steven Soderbergh. His portfolio is filling to the rim with movies that star several high profile actors and actresses and each time I've walked away without a sour taste in my mouth. It's apparent that he has a gift for massaging egos and getting the best out of his cast and crew. I imagine he is going to become the director of choice for many in Hollywood. In my opinion, there two stars of this film - Brad Pitt and the vault. I'm trying very hard to not make any comparisons, but he was the Dean Martin to George Clooney's Frank Sinatra. I hope that makes sense. This is not a comparison to the original movie, which I frankly don't remember much about, It more of a style. Frank was always kinda of serious while Dean Martin was a smart-ass. I loved the chemistry between the two of them. They really should work together again. The vault was the center piece of this movie. It was state of the art and the hoops they had to jump through to get in it ond out of it keep the movie moving. Speaking of chemistry... Julia Roberts and George Clooney set the screen a'smolderin'. There wasn't any sex or anything like that they just looked at each other so intensely. It was well, intense. Right about now, I'm ready to sell my mama in order to trade places with Julia. I just want one tiny little kiss. That's all I ask. As far as the rest of the cast goes, they all worked so well together. I never thought that anyone was out of place. Alas, I wouldn't be me if I didn't have at least one issue. I happen to have a few this time. There is a scene where Bernie Mac plays "the race card". Now, I understand why it was done. It was done to create a diversion. BUT BUT it still bothered me (even though it was funny) that it shows a black man failing to take responsibility for his behavior and his actions and instead, blaming "The Man" for all that is wrong in his life and world. I know that *most* white folks get that this is just a characterization. But, I'm also here to tell you that quite a few don't get it. If y'all could see some of the email I get... whew! There are some people out there that either need to get off or on some medication. Also, they left finger prints *everywhere* mostly notably in their hotel suite. The Directive Go see this movie. Take the spouse/ spousal equivalent out and enjoy yourselves. Especially before Lord of the Rings comes out and this one gets lost in the shuffle. Worth every penny and worth every minute. Ocean's 11 was a sea of good times. (Okay I know that was corny...) back to top Copyright Kamal "The Diva" Larsuel-Ulbricht, 2001 EMAIL: thediva@3blackchicks.com ICQ: 8690410 http://www.3blackchicks.com/ Use the feedback form below to send your comments to The Diva

More 3BlackChicks...™ review(s) for this week: (entertainment reviewed week of 12/7/01):

Bams' reviews:
Ocean's 11 (2001) | Ocean's 11 (1960)

Cass' reviews:
Ocean's 11 (2001)