“You’re a liar and a thief,” the charismatic Danny Ocean is informed in a scene. With out skipping a beat, he retorts, “I solely lied about being a thief.” This sharp repartee units the tone for Ocean’s 11, a movie brimming with wit and appeal but providing a lot extra beneath the floor.
The existence of this movie begged the query––why would anybody dare remake a movie that when starred titans like Frank Sinatra, Dean Martin, and Sammy Davis Jr.—the legendary “Rat Pack”? Steven Soderbergh answered this query boldly in 2001, reimagining the 60s heist traditional with a swagger all his personal. The unique, additionally that includes icons like Peter Lawford, Angie Dickinson, and Richard Conte, was akin to assembling the cinematic equal of the New York Yankees.
Soderbergh, nonetheless, redefined the heist style with an method so contemporary it grew to become a yardstick for all movies that adopted. He had the proper forged too: George Clooney, Brad Pitt, Matt Damon, Elliot Gould, and Julia Roberts. Hardly ever has Hollywood seen a lineup so star-studded, and rarer nonetheless has it delivered with such cohesive brilliance.
The story opens with Danny Ocean (Clooney) sitting in a parole listening to, and securing it with ease. As soon as out, he wastes no time setting a devious plan into movement –– robbing three Las Vegas casinos owned by the ruthless Terry Benedict (Andy Garcia), who additionally occurs to be courting his ex-wife Tess (Julia Roberts). In fact, Danny insists this private connection has no bearing on his audacious scheme.
Ocean and his “11” come throughout as a superbly balanced five-course meal at a Michelin restaurant; every flavour unbiased in its supply and id, but none surviving with out the opposite. Whereas the “deviant 11” work collectively to obtain the largest pay-out of their careers, additionally they complement one another in each body. For instance, there’s seldom a scene the place we don’t see the Mormon Twins (Casey Affleck and Scott Cann) collectively in a body; if you need one, you additionally must take the opposite.
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The narrative has consciously labored in particulars that make these characters and their messed-up relationships with one another extra possible. With fleeting references to previous escapades or in-jokes by no means totally defined, the script provides a way that these characters exist past the confines of the display. They really feel lived-in, with relationships so genuine that their tales appear to unfold each inside and past the movie’s runtime.
Good dialogues that fill every body are accompanied by nuanced silences. Contemplate the scene the place Danny and Rusty (Pitt) debate recruiting yet one more staff member. Danny asks, “Ten should do it, don’t you assume?” Rusty stays silent as Danny continues, “You assume we’d like yet one more? You assume we’d like yet one more. Alright, we’ll get yet one more.” With no phrase from Rusty, the viewers understands his unstated settlement. This familiarity between the characters makes them extra plausible, extra human. The dialog results in the recruitment of the final member of their crew, Linus Caldwell (Damon), a younger, nervous, and too eager-for-his-own-good thief.
The soundtrack of the movie strikes with the identical tempo because the scenes and pictures. The ‘Bebop’ jazz tracks within the background spotlight the identical urgency and unpredictability that the plot does, with the pauses lining up completely for that punch line to hit. David Holmes, the music director, additionally added tracks by stars like Elvis and Perry Como to raise the story.
Witty writing, intelligent cinematography, participating music, and stellar performances all come collectively on this masterclass in filmmaking. 23 years later, this remake doesn’t simply fill the footwear of its predecessor; it struts confidently into its personal highlight. A stellar star forged, together with Soderbergh’s crystal clear imaginative and prescient and execution, ensured that this 2001 gem stole greater than the money—it stole our hearts.
