OCEAN'S ELEVEN

REVIEWED BY CHARITY BISHOP

Our rating: 3 out of 5

Because of: language, violence, thematic elements

Rated:

There's only one film that boasts just as impressive of a cast as Ocean's Elven, and that's the British Gosford Park. This film boasts big names and an even bigger caper... George Clooney, Matt Damon, Brad Pitt, Andy Garcia, and Julia Roberts, among others... in a remake of an old classic in which a gang of thieves set out to crack a foolproof system, get revenge on a casino owner, and live to tell about it. Is it ego? the money? something else? These are the questions that tumble over one another throughout the course of Ocean's Elven... and a few are never answered. 

The film opens in prison (where else?) where known convict Daniel Ocean (George Clooney) has just been released after four year jail time for theft. Last time he allowed emotion to get in the way of logic and was caught. This time, however, he's determined that it won't happen again. Breaking parole and finding his way to California he hooks up with an old friend, Russell Ryan, a pro at cheating wealthy, bored Hollywood boys at cards. Apparently the only thing Danny's learned from jail is to work more smoothly. He has a plan to crack the tightest security system in the world, and land them over sixty billion dollars in cash. It's not the US treasury or a foreign government. No, it's on home soil... a series of casinos that all dump their weekend's stash of cash into one vault underground.

It's impossible... and yet doable with the right team. How many do they need? Four? Five? More? Ryan starts hooking him up with all the right people... businessmen, acrobats, mathematical geniuses, hackers, pickpockets. It's the most unusual and yet dynamic gang of thieves ever to see the light of day. But brains won't protect them from the wrath of casino owner Terry Benedict if he finds out what they're up to. The man is ruthless and has never been one-upped yet... those who cheat him don't make prison or even the hospital... they wind up at the morgue.

The plan must take place on game night, when US law demands that every casino carry enough cash to compensate possible total gross loss for the night. The funds during the wrestling tournament usually run well into the billions... cold, hard cash behind an impenetrable vault protected by a number of security systems. They have two weeks... but then the unexpected happens. Danny may not be in this simply for kicks after all... he has a bone to pick. And it could be gnawed at the expense of his team... if they let it get that far. Is there any honor among thieves?

Overlooking a few obvious flaws in the script, this is a solid film with great performances by all involved, some nerve-wracking suspense and a twist climax that will leave you howling in delight. It's not as intelligent as Bandits was, but doesn't pull any punches. The directing is excellent (what else could you expect from Oscar award winning director Steven Soderbergh?), the acting surprisingly laid back, and the action never ending. There's also a host of characters to identify with... too bad they're all con men and thieves. By now we all know that theft is wrong, but make exceptions for "entertainment" such as Ocean's Elven, Bandits, and Entrapment, which are all three genuinely fun films to watch. Unfortunately, this gang of thieves is no different than the rest... the revenge idea is weak at best, and the ending seems to push the idea that the end is worth the means... or that theft is manly and appealing. After all, he gets the girl, right? The villain is simply a villain... but for awhile, we don't know whether to hate or empathize with him. For awhile he looks like merely a businessman... an Italian mafia businessman.

If you can stop there, you might actually enjoy Ocean's Elven... but if you're like myself, the whole idea of rooting for thieves leaves a somber taste in the mouth. Thus said, I enjoyed it on whole. It has an intelligent script, lots of great dialogue... and then the cast is simply delightful. Violence is largely non-graphic, with only a few explosions, exchange of gunfire, and occasional fist fighting. Danny gets worked over by one of Benedict's thugs. Sensuality is also surprisingly light, considering the rating. Flyers of barely-clad women are briefly seen once or twice as advertisements for hookers. In the casino, some scantily-clad women seductively dance in the background, but the film doesn't linger. One of the showgirls, clad in a mock nurse's uniform, plays up to one of the guards to remove his keys from his pocket. There's very mild innuendo. However, language is the main problem here. Two f-words, several abuses of Jesus' name, and the use of G--d---n, particularly by one character (from whom comes most of the offensives) shove this fun thriller back a few paces. 

I might root for thieves occasionally in Hollywood, but this sours the milk. Your best bet -- wait for it to premiere on the local station.