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That’s what you get with “Oceans Eleven” and
the new sequel, “Oceans Twelve”, something that’s
appetizing if only because each of the players brings something
unique to proceedings.
You’ve got George Clooney’s gushing magnetism and
pull, Brad Pitt’s sex appeal and amicability, Matt Damon’s
rarely seen talent for farce, Julia Roberts old movie-star-style
appeal and sophistication, and Andy Garcia’s imposing
and spotlight hoggin’ presence as the token bad-guy.
Throw in Bernie Mac, Casey Affleck and Scott Caan, add a
dash of veterans Elliot Gould and Carl Reiner, and just this
once, sprinkle in a bit of the divine Catherine Zeta-Jones
and you have quite the full plate.
And yes, the film’s taste as good as they look.
Though not a shade on the headline acts that adorn them,
the plot of “Oceans Eleven” (2001) – an old
Rat Pack movie reworked, given a nice shine and polish –
was pretty well done. You had the old-time thief, Danny Ocean
(George Clooney) rounding up the best men in his trade (Pitt’s
crafty Rusty, Damon’s handy Linus, Affleck and Caan’s
master of disguise double-act and so on) for a job that involved
snagging a big-timers’ (Andy Garcia) Casino loot.
They’re using the same stencil for “Ocean’s
Twelve”, but by adding a new look, fresh set of characters
and hasty pace, manage to make it all seem brand new –
most of it anyway.
A much rougher, almost Indy-looking film than the first,
the European-set sequel sees our robber troupe getting back
together – because they’re forced to. Benedict (Garcia)
has caught up with them, and now, he wants his moolah back.
Solution? A new job, one that will earn them all quite a pretty
penny, which in turn, they can hand over to the slimy Casino
owner in exchange for their lives.
Since they're still being watched in the United States –
mainly by Catherine Zeta Jones’ Interpol agent, whose
been sleeping with Pitt’s character - they decide the
only possibility is to pull the job overseas where they run
into a master thief known only as "The Night Fox"
(Vincent Cassell).
It’s amazing how ‘un-Hollywood’ this film
actually looks and consequently comes across. If we didn’t
know the stars, one could almost swear it was a European flick
from the 70’s or 80’s, what with its perceptible
grain, use of hand-held, freeze frames and archetypal freeze
frames.
Steven Soderbergh obviously wanted the sequel to look and
feel different from its predecessor, and simply by changing
the locale and giving the film this distinctive old-world
look, he’s done that.
But as with the first film, it’s the all-star cast that
keep you glued, not the locale, not the storyline. Clooney
is his usual charming self (and even takes a couple of self-depreciating
jabs at himself), Pitt is too, Damon gets some good laughs,
Catherine-Zeta Jones hogs a fair bit of the film - and no
qualms here, she looks gorgeous - and Julia Roberts has a
fantastic moment towards the film’s final half that is
just too cool to spoil.
In addition, Frenchman Vincent Cassell is a ripper edition
to the cast. He’s not only a good physical match for
a master thief that can weave in and out of anywhere, but
he delivers a performance that’s brimming with just the
right amount of fascination and smarminess.
With so many players packed into the one film some are bound
to be left out, and there’s no immunity here. Bernie
Mac has very little to do, Garcia doesn’t do much either,
and the vets of the cast, Gould and Reiner are dishonourably
underused. Most of the charge falls on the screenplay, which
seemingly didn’t know how to use all of the cast members.
Funnily enough, it wasn’t conceived with “Oceans
Twelve” in mind but an unrelated film, something John
Woo was planning to do at one stage. That might explain why
it’s a film that really only takes care of three or four
of the majors headlining it, and leaves everyone else on the
bench.
“Oceans Twelve” may put-off some viewers with its
almost-experiment approach to filmmaking, but those after
a film that’s the chalk to the original’s cheese
should find the sides-adorned serving to their liking. You
mightn’t have as much fun as the cast obviously had making
it – it looks like one giant A-listers holiday –
but it will put a smile on your dial.
There aren’t a lot of films around that one can truly
say you get your moneys worth, but with the Oceans
films, you most certainly do.
DVD Extras
Unfortunately, there aren't any extras on the DVD - but it
looks great and sounds stellar - so we're half-way there.
Conclusion: Movie 80% Extras 0%
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