Film Scene - Ocean's Eleven

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.................... FILM SCENE ....................

OCEAN'S ELEVEN (2001)

Directed/Produced by Steven Soderbergh
Screenplay by Ted Griffin.
The Cast George Clooney, Brad Pitt, Julia Roberts, Matt Damon, Don Cheade, Andy Garcia & Elliot Gould

Steven Soderbergh, after his success with the excellent Traffic, brings Lewis Milestone's (best Director in 1930, for the excellent anti-war movie All Quiet On The Western Front) original 1960 Ocean's Eleven back for another Hollywood remake.

The original's cast was the infamous brat pack, who seem to have done the movie, while waiting to do their night gigs in the casinos. Though, what made the original worth viewing was the presence of Sinatra, Martin, Lawford, Davis etc.

The Soderbergh version has it's flaws, but a hip soundtrack from David Holmes, great directing from Soderbergh and a good cast (not nearly as cool though as the brat pack) make this an above average caper movie.

The plot centres around Danny Ocean, who just released from prison, and already plotting his next job, which happens to be the most elaborate casino heist in history. Robbing three casinos in one night ( although, I think in the original it was Five - there I told you the brat pack were cooler). The movie goes on to show us how Danny recruits eleven old buddies (hence, the title). Brad Pitt (card shark), Matt Damon (pickpocket), Don Cheadle, last seen in Traffic (demolition expert) and a very camp Elliot Gould. Julia (\$20 million a role) Roberts plays Danny's ex, and now girlfriend of Terry Benidict played by Andy Garcia, who just happens to be the owner of the three casino's, Danny and his crew are plotting to rob.

The best entertainment is in the middle where we see the gang being recruited, and the detail they go into planning the robbery, but some of the dialogue which is supposed to be humorous, just doesn't seem to work. Maybe it's lack of chemistry between some of the stars. It ends quite well, but then, for some reason, while most of the audience are leaving the cinema, they finish the movie with a three-months-later scene, that just doesn't make sense. So if you do go to watch it, leave when the screen goes black and don't look back, unless you've forgot your granny.

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