Ocean's Eleven

Ocean's Eleven - ***1/2

Steven Soderbergh hones in a star studded cast in Ocean's Eleven, a movie which casts off all false conceptions of legitimacy to focus on pure entertainment. With A-list stars such as Matt Damon, George Clooney, Brad Pitt, Julia Roberts, Elliot Gould, Andy Garcia, Bernie Mac and Carl Reiner all on board, it's easy to be intimidated by the blinding star power. However, the real star of this movie is Soderbergh, who's conscious and slick filmmaking brings this film from a likeable yet flawed effort to a popcorn masterpiece. There are several shots that stick with me from this film, including some of the montage camera work, the side to side shot of the group at the end, and the SWAT truck pulling back into the garage. Ted Griffin's screenplay is perfectly sufficient, respecting the "cool" air of the original. While it may not be quite as creative as the original plan, or as captivating as the original ending, Steven Soderbergh's 2001 update is a refreshing, more entertaining movie. Thumbs up.