We're at Psych, Season 1 Episode 3 and Shawn lists off a few heist movies in one scene so we've got a theme coming up! We're starting off with an early 2000s classic remake, Ocean's Eleven. Believe it or not, I'd never seen Ocean's Eleven except the very end. I'm pretty sure it was on TV once so I saw how the heist played out, ironically, but I'd never seen the first part. And since it's been a while since I watched any of it, it was kind of like watching it for the first time. It's also over 20 years old, but no matter.
On with the review!
Briefly, and Without Spoilers
After being released from prison, Danny Ocean (George Clooney) begins gathering a crew to pull off the biggest heist of their careers. The situation quickly becomes more complicated as personalities butt heads, egos flare, and the job gets personal.
"It's Never Been Done Before" (Spoilers Ahead!!)
Even though I've never seen this movie, I knew going into it it was a classic. Obviously. It's just one of those movies that people still talk about, especially when it comes to heist movies. And now that I've seen it, it's pretty clear why.
There's so much about this movie that works well. The acting, the chemistry, the writing, the sets and the tech, it's one of those movies where it checks all the boxes for a blockbuster hit, but it also is just good. The cast works really well together and they each play their roles well.
And it is a very clever heist. Now, I don't have a lot of experience in heists. I've never attempted one, I don't spend a lot of time studying them, so I don't really know what's believable and what's not. I'm sure there's another blog on the internet that can help you out if you have questions. But it all seemed very sophisticated, and it seemed like they did their research with the intricacies and the lingo. Feel free to let me know if they were way off.
I kind of wish Julia Roberts had a bigger part. Based on the scenes she had, her character could have added so much to the story and it felt like they were just more focused on the group. Which I get, but I feel like giving her more scenes would have added another dimension to the movie.
I also don't know how important Matt Damon's character ended up being. I mean he was good, but when I really think about his role, I can't help but wonder if we would have lost anything if he had been cut. Don't get me wrong, it's always nice to introduce a sort of protégé character, but I felt like they didn't work on that role enough for it to be a meaningful addition. Plus, when the heist actually happened, if George Clooney and Brad Pitt had already planned for the former to sneak into the elevator shaft by way of faking a beatdown, then what purpose did Matt Damon even serve? Normally I'd say they should have spent more time on his character, but in this case I kind of feel like we could have done without him. No offense to Matt Damon.
But really, overall, it was a good movie. Plus, I think there was enough action, romance, etc. that even if you're not a huge fan of heist movies, you might still like this one. It's pretty obvious why it's considered a classic and definitely worth the watch if you've never seen it.
The Cool Kids' Table
I have to say, I think a big part of the draw for this movie was the chemistry between the actors and the cool factor. George Clooney and Brad Pitt obviously cranked up the cool factor for this movie. Much suave, very swag. But even the confidence that some of the other characters portray ups the cool factor. Bizarre accent aside, Don Cheadle is very cool, the brothers are goofy but have that confidence of, "I'm here and involved but not obsessively invested," Andy Garcia and Julia Roberts are very cool, Bernie Mac, Elliot Gould, all very cool. Which of course makes Matt Damon's character's awkwardness stand out all the more.
We've already established that this movie has a lot going for it, but I also wonder how much the cool factor helps a movie. It's all about entertainment and escapism, right? Watching the glamorization of a crime people already often think of as sexy and seeing a group of people pull it off without breaking a sweat, except when they pretend to kill off Carl Reiner, is very entertaining and peak escapism. Many of us can't even liken ourselves to Matt Damon because at least Matt Damon can pickpocket on a busy tram.
Frankly, I think if you'd replaced George Clooney and Brad Pitt with people who had less swagger, it would still be an enjoyable movie. But I keep going back to the idea that their demeanor was a major part of the success.
And we also know that if you do anything with confidence (almost anything) people will assume you have authority. This isn't necessarily me just making stuff up. There are whole studies proving that carrying yourself in a certain way and speaking a certain way results in you being treated a certain way; people think you're more trustworthy, more intelligent, stronger, and, in the case of cinema, more entertaining and alluring. How many major motion pictures include a lead actor with a heightened cool factor? It's almost a requirement for men who want to take on lead roles. Maybe you won't need that skill all the time, but you'll definitely need it in your actor arsenal.
It's gotten to a point where I can't help but cringe at it sometimes. It's entertaining when it's natural (if not eye-roll inducing at times) but sometimes I watch a movie and just want the lead to pull the stick out of their ass and laugh or cry or do something other than smolder.
Just Leave Them Both
Also, this ultra-cool-lead-actor trope often gets coupled with this "women find him irresistible" trope. Did anyone else get to the end and think Julia Roberts should have left both George Clooney and Andy Garcia and jumped on a plane to Italy to find a beautiful Mediterranean man that makes pennies painting houses?
Obviously she was going to leave Andy Garcia. That was a given that they would find a way to sneak in a quick character-defamation moment that would lead to Julia Roberts's character seeing for herself how scummy Andy Garcia's character was. But what did George Clooney's character do to exonerate himself? Like, just because she realizes Andy Garcia isn't a good fit for her doesn't necessarily mean that all the reasons she broke up with George Clooney go away. She cites his propensity for thievery and lying as a reason she left him and he's literally pulling off a heist during their reunion.
Also, "Does he make you laugh?" Really Danny Ocean? Really? No offer to change your ways? No acknowledgement of how you upset her? Firstly, I liked Julia Roberts's character's comeback on that when she said, "He doesn't make me cry." Good for her. Secondly, so maybe she realizes Andy Garcia is a schmuck that doesn't make her laugh. Do you know how many men have made the average heterosexual woman laugh? Many men. Many, many men. We're not exactly setting ourselves apart from the crowd with that one, Danny.
My advice to Tess: Dump the casino owner, don't go back to Danny, you can do a lot better than both of them.
Pop that Popcorn
All in all, it's a good movie. It's definitely heavy on the set-up-to-be-a-blockbuster, but those can be very entertaining. So if you've got a free Friday night and you're looking for a good time, this is worth the watch.
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