Oh the charm
Review by Vives Anunciacion
Ocean’s Thirteen
Directed by Steven Soderbergh
Starring George Clooney, Brad Pitt, Matt Damon, Al Pacino
PG 13/ 122 minutes
Warner Brothers
*** (3 stars)
They should be put behind bars, for what they are really is a merry band of slick thieves. Somebody tried to do so in Ocean’s Twelve, but Danny Ocean (George Clooney) and his merry band are way too fashionable for the slammer. Third time’s the charm for the new rat pack in Ocean’s Thirteen.
In the movie, hotel czar Willie Bank (Al Pacino) defrauds one of the original Eleven, Reuben (Elliott Gould) from ownership of a new hotel casino in Las Vegas. Danny Ocean gathers the entire gang, including Rusty (Brad Pitt) and Linus (Matt Damon), to exact revenge against greedy Willie.
Their plan is to bankrupt Willie’s new casino on its opening night to the tune of $500 million by staking their most elaborate heist as thieves. To do so, as Danny and Rusty so intricately explain to a prospective partner, they must rig all the tables and machines on the gambling floor; tamper with the dice used in the new casino by infiltrating the factory that makes them in Mexico, sabotage the hotel’s review by giving a specific hotel critic the worst experiences of his life, outsmart the hotel’s ultra-high tech computerized security system; and lastly, artificially generate an earthquake to shake the hotel towers.
When the cost of disrupting Willie’s hotel casino runs higher than what Danny and the gang can handle, they forge an unlikely partnership with erstwhile nemesis Terry Benedict (Andy Garcia). With the grand plan in motion, Ocean’s thirteen accomplices will do what they can to make sure that on its opening day, Willie Bank’s new hotel casino will shut down.
Featuring a parade of A-list Hollywood stars visibly enjoying their smart witty characters, Ocean’s Thirteen is a glamorous, sometimes very funny caper on how to beat the casino. This is not a character driven movie and it’s not about their romances (which were what Twelve was all about, unsuccessfully). Thirteen is a jazzed up rundown about the process and not the end product. It is sleek entertainment, like watching a real Vegas show, and is meant to be enjoyed to look at than thought about.
George Clooney and Brad Pitt are wonderful making a fool of themselves while looking very dapper in tailored suits. The best part of Ocean’s Thirteen is when Danny delivers his reply to Willie’s mega-threat near the end of the show, plus a surprise cameo by Oprah Winfrey which will definitely bring the house down.
----
Also showing until June 17th is the 12th French Film Festival at the Shangri-La Cineplex Cinema 3, featuring a very interesting mix of French-produced movies, shown for free. The festival opened last June 7 with the hit James Bond parody, OSS 117. Call 6332227 for inquiries.
Review by Vives Anunciacion
Ocean’s Thirteen
Directed by Steven Soderbergh
Starring George Clooney, Brad Pitt, Matt Damon, Al Pacino
PG 13/ 122 minutes
Warner Brothers
*** (3 stars)
They should be put behind bars, for what they are really is a merry band of slick thieves. Somebody tried to do so in Ocean’s Twelve, but Danny Ocean (George Clooney) and his merry band are way too fashionable for the slammer. Third time’s the charm for the new rat pack in Ocean’s Thirteen.
In the movie, hotel czar Willie Bank (Al Pacino) defrauds one of the original Eleven, Reuben (Elliott Gould) from ownership of a new hotel casino in Las Vegas. Danny Ocean gathers the entire gang, including Rusty (Brad Pitt) and Linus (Matt Damon), to exact revenge against greedy Willie.
Their plan is to bankrupt Willie’s new casino on its opening night to the tune of $500 million by staking their most elaborate heist as thieves. To do so, as Danny and Rusty so intricately explain to a prospective partner, they must rig all the tables and machines on the gambling floor; tamper with the dice used in the new casino by infiltrating the factory that makes them in Mexico, sabotage the hotel’s review by giving a specific hotel critic the worst experiences of his life, outsmart the hotel’s ultra-high tech computerized security system; and lastly, artificially generate an earthquake to shake the hotel towers.
When the cost of disrupting Willie’s hotel casino runs higher than what Danny and the gang can handle, they forge an unlikely partnership with erstwhile nemesis Terry Benedict (Andy Garcia). With the grand plan in motion, Ocean’s thirteen accomplices will do what they can to make sure that on its opening day, Willie Bank’s new hotel casino will shut down.
Featuring a parade of A-list Hollywood stars visibly enjoying their smart witty characters, Ocean’s Thirteen is a glamorous, sometimes very funny caper on how to beat the casino. This is not a character driven movie and it’s not about their romances (which were what Twelve was all about, unsuccessfully). Thirteen is a jazzed up rundown about the process and not the end product. It is sleek entertainment, like watching a real Vegas show, and is meant to be enjoyed to look at than thought about.
George Clooney and Brad Pitt are wonderful making a fool of themselves while looking very dapper in tailored suits. The best part of Ocean’s Thirteen is when Danny delivers his reply to Willie’s mega-threat near the end of the show, plus a surprise cameo by Oprah Winfrey which will definitely bring the house down.
----
Also showing until June 17th is the 12th French Film Festival at the Shangri-La Cineplex Cinema 3, featuring a very interesting mix of French-produced movies, shown for free. The festival opened last June 7 with the hit James Bond parody, OSS 117. Call 6332227 for inquiries.
0 comments:
Post a Comment