7 of 10
Cinematography by Peter Andrews
George Clooney
Andy Garcia
Don Cheadle
Brad Pitt
Elliott Gould
Matt Damon
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| Ocean's 11 7 of 10 |
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| Directed by Steven Soderbergh Cinematography by Peter Andrews George Clooney Andy Garcia Don Cheadle Brad Pitt Elliott Gould Matt Damon |
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| In 1960, Frank Sinatra, Dean Martin, and the rest of the Rat Pack made a film entitled Oceans Eleven. It was quite popular, critically acclaimed, and I have never seen it. What I have seen, however, is this 2001 remake. Although I can't compare it to the original, I can say that this Soderbergh flick is a funny, fast-paced and engaging film in its own right. The script is crisp, with a fine balance of humor and drama. And the cast is letter perfect. (Except for Julia Roberts, who is simply terrible.) The chemistry between Clooney and Pitt is exceptional; the scenes where they deliberate together over who should be a part of their casino heist are a ton of fun. Matt Damon plays the young, hot-headed ronin to perfection, and Elliott Gould is a riot as Reuben Tishkoff, the man who payrolls the whole project. But my favorite definitely has to be Don Cheadle; his motor-mouthed British explosives expert Basher Tarr is a real treat. As in most heist films, Soderbergh is faced with the challenge of making bad guys seem like good guys, and he succeeds completely. It's impossible not to like these guys, and really want them to win, and want them to beat up the really bad guy, and get the money, and of course, the girl. Don't think about the ethics too much; just sit back and enjoy the ride, because it's a great one. Thoroughly entertaining, while avoiding the trap of trying to be more than it is: simple, straight-forward amusement. Oh, and just one more little note; pretty interesting. Peter Andrews is a pseudonym for Steven Soderbergh, and his cinematography is great. | ||||||