Hey folks, Harry here with a ton of reviews of some independent low budget Hungarian flick from eastern China called OCEAN'S ELEVEN... Directed by that E.T. guy, Steven Soderbergh! That guy is simply the best! According to Moriarty's drunken ramblings tonight, this time he directs that Julia Roberts dame even better this time than he did in his classic HOOK!!! And that's just great. The reviews really make this out to be super duper fantastic... And Soderbergh needs it, especially after that pathetic year in 2000. Whew... I guess it really is hard to make movies... Well, I can't wait to see this one for me own self. This first short review has the most spoilers in it, so skip down if you don't want to know...
Just got back from the screening in Pasadena and the film is just brilliant. Great acting, great script, the crowd was very into it.
Soderbergh was in the back signing autographs for people, and the film obviously tested very well. The only problem is the seemingly tacked on ending that brings us 3-6 months after the heist and Clooney getting arrested. These 3 minutes only serve to give the audience what they want - a shot of Clooney and Julia kissing, but the point is made already in the previous scene when he is hauled off.
It feels tacked on, and doesn't belong with the rest of the very sophisticated film. The movie brings back that OUT OF SIGHT fun, style, and wittiness and combines it with Soderbergh's adept control of story that came through in TRAFFIC.
He is an incredible director and he's got one of the better films of the year set for release. The print had temp track (David Holmes sndtrk from OUT OF SIGHT) and partial credits (the best being "AND INTRODUCING JULIA ROBERTS AS TESS".) That was a nice touch.
That's all from here,
Pike Bishop
And now here's Sabrina... now I don't know how much faith to put into her review... She claims to love Moriarty, which shows a noted lack of taste!
Hey, Sr. Moriarty: You know I love you, and I thought you might like to hear about my impressions of "Ocean's Eleven," which I saw tonight at a screening at Pasadena's UA Marketplace. Have you seen it? If you have, you know that it is a triumph of style over substance, but in this instance, style definitely has the edge. Who needs any damn substance, anyway?
My sister, who accompanied me along with a friend from Paris, dubbed the film "Babe-i-licious," and she's right -- it was a feast of male pulchritude. For me, however, it was proof positive that for all this stuff about him being his generation's Clark Gable, and for all his chemistry with whoever leading lady trips across his scenes (and that chemistry totally emanates from him and engulfs them), George Clooney does his best work with other male actors.
Witness his terrific, terrific scenes in this film with Brad Pitt. Each scene between them was two alpha males adroitly trying to one-up each other, mostly to hilarious effect, but there was also an underlying sweetness and affection there. And just how cool is Brad Pitt now? I don't know; hooking up with Aniston has done something for him yowsa.
Now, everyone knows that this is an update of the Rat Pack movie of the '60's, yadda, yadda despite some gaping plot holes and "magic wand" plot points that really don't matter in the long run, it's a hell of an entertaining film, propelled largely by star power, great acting and very canny and amusing set pieces. The only thing that scares me about this bid for commercial success is that it might impel Soderbergh to change the somewhat "feel-bad" ending, which is great and totally in keeping with the spirit of the original film's end.
One carp: unfortunately, much like her recent turn with John Cusack in "America's Sweethearts," I kept thinking that Roberts and Clooney would be great together in a film where they actually had a real relationship. As it stands, Roberts just stands around looking glamorous, glowering at Clooney and smiling tentatively at Andy Garcia. She's pretty much wasted in this film, serving only as Ocean's raison d'etre and ultimate prize (although I suppose that's what Angie Dickinson was in the the original, too). I hope they do another film together where they actually can act AND interact.
Still, there are many jewels here: a hilarious mock-fight between Matt Damon and Bernie Mac (actually, at first I thought Damon was pretty much wasted too, but he gets better as the film progresses); the wonderful performances of old pros Elliot Gould and Carl Reiner; Andy Garcia elevating tightly-wound menace to new levels (although I would have loooved to have seen Bruce Willis in this role, squaring off opposite Clooney), and as I said, practically anything involving Clooney and Pitt, and Pitt all by himself.
If this film isn't an even bigger success that "Erin Brockovich," I'll be so disappointed in the country at large. As it is, "Ocean's Eleven" proves even more that Soderbergh just rocks.
Sabrina
P.S. We couldn't stay for the Q&A, but we accosted Soderbergh at the back of the theatre. He looked like he had a headache, and also as if he wanted to be anywhere but there. Making movies must be such hard work. Tsk.
And now for the beautiful Evelyn Mulwrey, who has the good taste to not be in love with an evil genius..
Tonight there was a test screening of Ocean's 11 in Pasadena. I hadn't planned on writing in, but I couldn't resist inserting my two cents.
I thought the film was fantastic - and surprisingly finished considering the four months that will lapse before it's release. The film has an overwhelming feeling of cool that I haven't seen in movies of late. The film and its characters don't try to be cool, they just are. They dress well, speak cleverly and get the job done with a breeziness that makes you feel that these characters exist in this world and really dress, act and talk this way.
As everyone and their dog knows that film stars George Clooney, Brad Pitt, Andy Garcia, Matt Damon, Don Cheadle, Carl Reiner, Scott Caan, Casey Affleck and Julia Roberts. There are also a slew of cameos and smaller parts. This is wall to wall movie star eye candy.
The film is called Ocean's 11 - but it could be called Brad Pitt's party because he just dominates the movie. If you thought he was cool in Fight Club - just wait. I really admire a big movie star like George Clooney who's willing to let other actors take center stage - it shows a real love for the quality of the film and not his own ego.
Other stand out performances are Scott Caan and Casey Affleck as the two mormon brothers and Carl Reiner as the old guy they get out of retirement for the job.
In fact everyone in the film is really great which makes the fact that Julia Roberts is a bit miscast stand out. She does her best and delivers her lines well, but she doesn't quite seem to fit in right with the high class, high maintainance gal she's supposed to be playing.
But really, this is only a minor complaint (along with the shameful underuse of Don Cheadle and Matt Damon). I really loved the fact that the film isn't filled with arbitrary back story and subplots. The film and filmmakers operate much like the heist and the characters themselves, they don't bullshit, they're professional and everything that happens is necessary to the story. Lest you think that the film is boring, I guarantee you it is quite funny, clever, surprising, entertaining and all those other silly superlatives they quote from critics.
I wish I had more interesting things to say about the film but really I thought it was pretty perfect. Soderbergh will have his biggest hit yet and everyone will get richer on this one.
Evelyn Mulwrey
And now here's Baba
Hey Harry
I have been a long time fan of the sight but have never had any reason to write in until tonight. I was able to catch an early screening of Steven Soderbourgh's Ovean 11 tonight in Pasadena and it was FANTASTIC! One of the best movies I've seen this year and while it wont win any oscars, it is very inteligent and entertaining.
I usallly get these free screening to movies like Tomcats that suck big time, but Soderbourgh has made a real good popcorn movie that is extremely well written and very well acted. After a summer of terrible movies, this gives me great hope for some quality movies coming out at the end of the year.
All of the actors in the movie are terrific and the editing is great. Story moves along very fast and looks great. The crowd I was with seemed to really enjoy it and gave it a great applause at the end. Looks like it will be a great hit.
Take care
Baba
