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The Georgian native who legendary film critic Roger Ebert labelled the "poster boy of the Sundance generation" endured his most artistically successful year at the turn of the millennium. The reason why Steven Soderbergh was nominated twice in the Best Director categories at the Academy Awards, Golden Globes and Directors Guild of America ceremonies is simply because Erin Brockovich (2000) and Traffic (2000) are admirable yarns showcasing the immense versatility of a very gifted director. Ocean's Eleven continues a possible common thread however, started in his early career with films such as sex, lies, and videotape (1989) and King of the Hill (1993) - lying of the main protagonist. Soderbergh could not have chosen a better vehicle to continue this inherent trend as he swaps pathological liars for con artists. He takes a gamble with the mediocre Rat Pack original in desperate need of a modern update, but with a mouth-watering cast, and eleven blatant mendacious thieves, the resulting film was seemingly never a risk as the flashy aesthetics full of glitz shine through to compliment the neon-lit Las Vegas Strip setting.
Ocean's Eleven simply glows with delight on every level. Soderbergh isn't vying to create a fantastic form of art, just solid entertainment, and unlike the series' mediocre sequel Ocean's Twelve (2004), he never seems to try too hard. George Clooney plays the title role with glorious aplomb, slipping into the expert conniving role of Danny Ocean faultlessly. Rusty Ryan, Ocean's sidekick portrayed by another matinee idol Brad Pitt, acts as a fine lieutenant to the troupe which also includes excellent turns from Matt Damon (Linus Caldwell is a rookie con artist who specialises in pick-pocketing with overt blemishes of naivety), Don Cheadle (explosives connoisseur with god-awful English accent), Elliot Gould (Danny's guru and financial backer), Carl Reiner (the high roller), Bernie Mac (the inside man) and hosts more bringing the plan together. The nemesis and target is Andy Garcia's Terry Benedict, a Las Vegas casino owner who is dating Julia Roberts' Tess Ocean - Danny's ex-wife. This all adds to the luscious premise as the gang commence the seemingly unfeasible task of robbing three casinos (The Mirage, MGM Grand and The Bellagio) which all belong to Benedict. Soderbergh delivers all the shots which are sure to shock the audience into thinking the heist is impossible - daunting glimpses of the target locations, baffling gobbledegook on the state-of-the-art security systems employed, and sheer precision of the adversary as he undertakes his daily routine. In true Hollywood fashion however, we realise the charm and talents of the ensemble will overcome the odds but the stumbling block for so many heist movie wannabes is the actual con delivery. The director demonstrates this wonderfully, mixing the uncertainness of inner-gang conflict with the meticulousness of the release. Danny v. Rusty over the involvement of Tess in proceedings, and Turk (Scott Caan) v. Virgil (Casey Affleck) with their constant bickering, always cast doubt, but these are comedic outlets which never really affect the grand scheme, although they are masterfully incorporated nonetheless in Ted Griffin's screenplay.
Luckily for filmgoers, Soderbergh is at the helm and not some bubblegum director in the spirit of McG from Charlie's Angels (2000) or another MTV generation alumnus completely out of their depth with the star power and quality of the material. In fact, the editing is perfectly set to illustrate the exactitude of the gang's assignment but is jaded enough to keep you guessing, and the soundtrack, including works from Debussy and Elvis, is first-rate at capturing the enormity of the task and the fake beauty of America's playground.
The extras
Out of the two commentaries you certainly learn a lot more about the filmmaking process from Soderbergh's and Griffin's effort than from the wisdom of Garcia, Pitt and Damon. The former is a nice exploration of the logistics of shooting the film in such sensitive casino locations, thanks mainly to producer Jerry Weintraub's contacts. The latter is more a chat between friends and a promotional piece on how great the cast were to work with. A fifteen minute "Behind the Scenes" featurette doesn't really add much and "The Look of the Con" is a nine minute look at the costumes which again do nothing really to heighten the quality of the package. A couple of trailers are also included.
The summary
Ultra-cool, clever, slick, funny - the accolades continue for Soderbergh's effort. Prepare to indulge in the eminence of the glorious ensemble and chuckle throughout the hugely addictive masterwork. Ocean's Eleven is a wholesome heist film, pushing The Sting (1973) for the ultimate tale in the compelling genre.
