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.
