Starring George Clooney, Brad Pitt, Matt Damon, Andy Garcia, Julia Roberts, Elliot Gould, Don Cheadle, Carl Reiner, Bernie Mac, Casey Affleck, Scott Caan, Eddie Jemison, Shaobo Qin. Directed by Steven Soderbergh. Danny Ocean (Clooney) has just served four years in a New Jersey jail for a con job gone wrong. After being let out, he sets his sight on a new job. The target? Three of the most popular casinos on the Vegas Strip: The Bellagio, the Mirage and the MGM Grand. Secured beneath 200 feet of solid earth below the Strip is a vault that safeguards the money that comes through these three casinos, which all happen to be owned by Terry Benedict (Garcia), a suave entrepreneur. As smart as he is ruthless, Benedict doesn't hesitate to do whatever is needed to get what he wants. Currently, it is rival Reuben Tishkoff's (Gould) beloved hotel and Danny Ocean's ex-wife Tess (Roberts), who has moved to Las Vegas to begin a new life as curator of the Bellagio Art Gallery. To pull off his elaborate scheme, Danny handpicks a team of grifters including: Rusty Ryan (Pitt), Ocean's most trusted cohort and the detail man of the outfit; Linus Caldwell (Damon), whose nimble fingers can pick any pocket; Basher Tarr (Cheadle) the Cockney munitions expert; Tishkoff, who wants to get even with Benedict; the Malloy brothers, Virgil (Affleck) and Turk (Caan), expert auto mechanics, drivers and poseurs; Frank Catton (Mac), professional card dealer and observer; Saul Bloom (Reiner), who thought he was retired from running scams; Livingston Dell (Jemison), whose work on both sides of the law has made him a surveillance expert capable of tapping into the most sophisticated security system; and Yen (Qin), a Chinese acrobat whose unique talents make him the perfect grease man. It is all scheduled to go down the night of the Lennox Lewis-Vladimir Klitschko heavyweight champion boxing match, but will the boys be able to pull off the perfect crime. Riding a winning streak with The Limey, Out of Sight, Erin Brockovich and Traffic, Soderbergh is now trying his hand at slick, populist entertainment. Ocean's Eleven is a remake of the Frank Sinatra and Ratpack film of 1960 with a few changes. The boys may not be as cool as Sinatra and his buddies, but they are better actors. And they are in a better film. Ostensibly an action-thriller, the action is not showy, the humour witty and low-key and the thrills subtle. The fun part lies in seeing the elaborate story run its course, and the interplay between very good performers. One of the best scenes involves Danny reuniting with his ex-wife in the hotel restaurant when rival Terry shows up at the table. The timing displayed by all three actors in their conversation and the overly familiar way the two men call each other Danny and Terry are a treat to watch. There are a few improbable occurances but they are kept to a minimum. Like the heist film The Score from the past summer, the pleasure of the film is in the meticulous way the complicated theft unfolds. The cast is solid all the way along. Clooney is appropriately smooth and confident, showing vulnerability in Danny's desire to get Tess back. The chemistry between Clooney and Roberts is excellent, and their scenes together are among the best. Pitt enjoys himself as the cocky con man who loves to tweak both the good guys and bad guys. Early on, a very enjoyable scene involves Rusty teaching Hollywood hotshots how to play poker, including Holly Marie Combs, Sean Robert Leonard and Joshua Jackson and other "teenbeat" regulars, Soderbergh veteran Leonard is clearly having fun, and like in Traffic, he's a plus for the film. Although, I could have done without Cheadle's cockney accent. Ocean's Eleven is a well-made, entertaining film made for adults, and it's a fun way to spend two hours. If you would like to respond, please click the E-Mail Press Here To Go To The Review List Page