GEORGE CLOONEY SPECIAL WEEK : A PARADE OF STARS - "OCEAN’S 11"

Now, as we all agree our dear Mr. Clooney is, to put no finer point on it, yummy. And naturally, he is, in himself, quite sufficient to glue one to a film from beginning to end whether the film has substance or not. A film like Michael Clayton, where you have to really use the “little grey cells” to coin the phrase of one of my favorite detectives (oh of course you know who, just think for a second!). Mr. Clooney really and truly knows how to act, the story is amazing and exciting, in short you are surrounded by various levels of yumminess. Sometimes, however, one’s little grey cells have had enough exercise for one day. They want to kick back and be entertained, they don’t want to work. That’s when your typical, common or garden “entertainment” movie comes in. Hopefully it has a clever plotline. Plenty of action, a few nice special effects, a few handsome gents and some beautiful dames, add a little pop corn, grab a soda, what more do you need? How about just such a movie starring George Clooney… Brad Pitt… Matt Damon… AND Julia Roberts? Too good to be true? No. Ocean’s 11.
Danny Ocean (George Clooney) is fresh out of prison. He is also a man with a plan. He intends fully to make up for the lost couple of years of his life, and he will do that by robbing three of the biggest casinos in Las Vegas. Of course, if you’re robbing a casino in Las Vegas, you have to do a touch more than walk in with a gun and yell “Stick ‘em up!” You’ll need a plan. And a team to execute it. Now we have already explained, Mr. Ocean is a man with a plan. All he has to do is acquire a team, and thanks to his own old contacts – and his best friend Rusty’s (Brad Pitt) this is not actually going to be a problem. All they have to do is to find nine other men as mad as themselves, and pull of the biggest casino heist in the history of Las Vegas… All in a day’s work for Danny Ocean…
Ocean’s 11 is all you expect it to be, and more. There’s really no wonder it kind of turned into a trilogy. Now there is one thing you have to bear in mind when it comes to this kind of film. It sounds simple. That’s what usually trips people up. If “anyone” tries to film a robbery – heist movie, chances are you’re going to get something that is pretty much 10 a penny these days. Completely predictable with 3rd rate acting and photography. Do any of us go out and watch these? Well some of us do, that much is obvious, but most of us do not. However if Steven Soderbergh is at the helm of the boat and if so many classic actors are crammed into the film (the afore – mentioned foursome PLUS Andy Garcia, Bernie Mac and Casey Affleck – and that’s still only part of the cast!) you get true, good quality entertainment. The film is great fun from beginning to end, the plot twists are intelligent and not predictable (as a general rule, anyway) and besides come on… We’re talking about George Clooney here… Of course the film’s brilliant!