Short Take: Ocean’s Thirteen (2007)
Jun 22nd, 2008 | By Rick | Category: Short Take
Director: Steven Soderbergh
Writers: Brian Koppelman, David Levien
Cinematographer: Steven Soderbergh (as Peter Andrews)
Editor: Stephen Mirrione
Production Designer: Philip Messina
The third of the Ocean movies by Soderbergh and company, Ocean’s Thirteen follows the formula laid out in the first two: Danny Ocean (George Clooney) and his cronies set out to accomplish an un-accomplishable heist. In the first one (Ocean’s Eleven) they take down the Bellagio Hotel in Vegas (I’m not spoiling anything … do you really think they wouldn’t succeed?), thus setting its understandably pissed-off owner Terry Benedict (Andy Garcia) on their tails. In the second installment (Ocean’s Twelve), Benedict has caught up with them and demanded their money or their lives, and to pay him back they steal a Fabregé egg. Or something.
In Ocean’s Thirteen, they’re out for revenge: their pal Reuben (Elliott Gould) has been ripped off by his erstwhile partner Willy Banks (Al Pacino) and is near death with grief. So the boys set out to destroy Banks and the casino he stole from their buddy. Along the way, they use a boring machine (two, actually) to cause an earthquake under the hotel, rig all the gaming tables to bleed Banks dry, steal his beloved diamonds, and a lot of other things that most of the time don’t make much sense.
No matter. Soderbergh’s direction is snappy, and the pacing is such that we aren’t left too long to wonder at the huge, gaping plot holes before we’re on to the next gag. Clooney and co-star Brad Pitt are as cool as proverbial cucumbers, and comic-relief Matt Damon is appropriately klutzy as he tries to impress dear old dad. It’s an uncommonly beautiful movie: nobody frames shots with the casual grace of Sodrbergh, and Vegas looks burnished through his lighting and Philip Messina’s production design. If the film is mainly an excuse to have a good time and funnel a little money the boys’ way, then so be it. It’s also a pleasant way to spend a couple of hours.
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I’m with you, I don’t know if I really liked 13 or if I was just so pleased with it in relation to 12. In any case, I think I’ve had enough of the installment. Let’s move on the next heist franchise.
Yeah, it’s finished, all right. Head ‘em up, move ‘em out!