Ocean's Eleven (2001)

3 out of 4

Starring: George Clooney, Brad Pitt, Matt Damon, Julia Roberts, Andy Garcia, Don Cheadle, Elliot Gould, Carl Reiner, Casey Affleck

Director: Steven Soderbergh

Time: 118 mins

For me, one of the most impressive feature film casts of all time is the one in Oliver Stone's JFK. Not only was there a liberal sprinkling of Oscar winners past (Jack Lemmon, Walter Matthau, Sissy Spacek), present (Joe Pesci, and Kevin Costner, for directing Dances With Wolves) and future (Tommy Lee Jones), but there were many recognisable faces and stars in the making (Kevin Bacon, John Candy, Gary Oldman, and Wayne Knight, for starters). Now, there is a film with a cast that may not quite have the same pedigree as yet, but in a way, is cooler and more hip than most other films in recent memory. A loose remake of the 1960 Rat Pack (Frank Sinatra, Dean Martin, Sammy Davis Jr, et al) heist flick, Ocean's Eleven features heartthrobs like George Clooney, Brad Pitt, Matt Damon, Andy Garcia and Julia Roberts, along with character actors like Don Cheadle, Elliot Gould and Carl Reiner. That's enough headlining "cast" for three movies, let alone one. The film is light, breezy entertainment that doesn't really hit the high spots, but does it with a dash of sophistication while riding on its undeniable star power.

Clooney is Danny Ocean, a thief who has just been released from prison but is already planning another big job. His plan is to rob three of the biggest and most prestigious casinos in Las Vegas - the Bellagio, the Mirage, and the MGM Grand - all of which are owned by Terry Benedict (Garcia). He enlists old buddy Rusty Ryan (Pitt) to help plan the operation, and recruits others like rookie thief Linus Caldwell (Damon), explosives expert Basher Tarr (Cheadle), and the lithe, acrobatic Yen (Shaobo Qin) to help. A complication arises when Rusty finds out that Danny's ex-wife Tess (Roberts) is now involved with Benedict, and that Danny may be more interested in getting her back than in the heist. With one of the most secure vaults in the world still to be broken into, will this new emotional entanglement ruin the whole plan?

In a year filled with heist pictures (including The Score and the more recent Heist), Ocean's Eleven goes for the less serious take. There are a few twists reminiscent of The Sting, and a few funny moments, but nothing really memorable. The real pleasure in Ocean's Eleven is in seeing so many marquee stars all together in the one film. Fans of Clooney, Pitt, Damon, Garcia or Roberts will find there's enough to like here, but being an ensemble cast, all of them (except, perhaps, for Clooney) don't get extensive screen time. Still, most of them seem to be having some fun with making the film, and the slick (if uninspiring) direction of Oscar-winning Soderbergh means Ocean's Eleven never bogs down.

While the main stars deliver passable performances (with Clooney being his normal confident self and even Roberts able to shine in her limited role as the woman torn between a rich man and her ex-husband), there is some funny support from the likes of Casey Affleck and Scott Caan (playing twins who fill all sorts of minor roles in the team) and veteran director Carl Reiner. One of my favourite actors, Don Cheadle, does his best with his thinly written part, and sports a mean British accent as well.

Though I haven't seen the original Ocean's Eleven, most of the hype surrounding it seems to focus more on the off-screen antics of the Rat Pack than the merits of the movie itself. While Clooney and his co-stars haven't attracted the same kind of notoriety (yet), the remake still feels like the kind of film a bunch of friends would make. It's not a brilliant film, but there is enough star exposure to entertain for two hours. Enjoy.

(c) Joe Wong (9 December 2001)