Ocean's Eleven: The Coolest Movie On The Block

I have a small confession to make. I may have been avoiding personal favorites for awhile because I didn't want my home stretch of reviews to look like exam week. But as I frantically searched for a movie that I wanted to be able to watch and half pay attention to because I know it by heart this is the one that landed in my hands. Now I won't say this is an all time favorite or even in consideration for my favorite movie of all time but there is no denying that this is a movie that does a whole lot of things right. It's also refreshing to see a heist movie that doesn't involve a gigantic shootout with the police unlike every nineties movie that involved a bank heist (namely Heat and Point Break).

The movie opens with Danny Ocean (George Clooney) a career thief in front of a parole board and with his subsequent release from prison. From there it's off to find his old pal and partner in crime Rusty (Brad Pitt) because Danny's got a plan to put together the heist of the century in Vegas. The target is a lethal businessman named Terry Benedict who just happens to own the three casinos they are robbing and is currently dating Ocean's ex-wife. With his ludicrous plan in hand it's up to Ocean to round up a gang and get the money (and the girl) and get out alive.

So before I begin to talk about what I like about this movie let me address any potential criticisms.

There might be some that say that the characters aren't very well developed. Well they are most certainly right since each of them gets an introduction and then is just seen doing their respective jobs for the rest of film. However this a movie where characterization isn't half as interesting as our criminal's specialties and abilities. We've got Bernie Mac for an inside man, Matt Damon for our pickpocket, Don Cheadle as an incoherent brit and demolitions man, Elliot Gould as our doubting old Jew, and Carl Reiner as the legendary confidence man. This is a heist movie. It's about getting the loot and less about the men getting the loot. If you want to see a team of guys be characterized watch a TV series or Seven Samurai.

The second complaint I'll field is that the movie isn't a laugh riot. Once again I will agree. The movie is about being subtle and not having the ridiculous of the moment make you laugh but rather the people and what they're saying and doing. A prime example is when Danny has a "conversation" with Rusty who looks away uninterested and doesn't say anything the entire time. If he had interacted with Danny the joke dies and there's no laughable moment. On the other hand is Rusty moves around the avoid him or ignore him it would be like watching a romantic comedy between two guys.

The reason I liked this movie more than I expected to is because it's not a movie that tries too hard in any way shape or form. First they avoid high drama by avoiding massive amounts of gunfire which makes them seem insanely smarter because would you rather just walk out a place knowing you outsmarted the guy or get shot in the leg and have to potentially kill about five police officers? The first one sounds a lot easier and a lot less painful. Not to mention the fact that it sounds like what professionals do.
The second thing this movie does very well is that it stays a step ahead of the audience and keeps them in the dark enough to wonder exactly what is going on and how they just pulled it off. I've never understood movies that give every detail of a heist before it happens because that means you've just been given a blueprint for the rest of movie. The heist is also supposed to be the most exciting part so what does it do to that event if you already know everything that is going to happen.
Oh and one thing I may have hinted to earlier. This cast is stacked with Hollywood A-listers of yesterday (Gould and Reiner) the A-listers of today (Clooney and Pitt) and the A-listers of tomorrow (Damon, Cheadle, and Casey Affleck). Even the lone female in this boy's club movie is Julia Roberts but then again who else are you going to put as the ex-wife of George Clooney?
Before I begin to rant and rave about just how awesome the heist itself actually is I would like to point out the irony in one particular scene. Rusty (Brad Pitt's character) is working at a bar and helping a bunch of B list television stars learn to play poker properly. They fail miserably by the way. The actors include Topher Grace, Joshua Jackson and others from a number of TV shows and everyone seems to know who they are. In fact when Topher walks in he gets mobbed for autographs as Rusty simply walks past. So for those of you playing at home this means in that reality that Topher Grace is considered cooler or more interesting than Brad Pitt. Score one for the nerds out there! Enjoy the irony and enjoy a clever and funny heist flick.