Steven Soderbergh made a bit of a name for himself in creating all kinds of films. He’s dipped his hands into every other genre, and he’s almost perfect his craft too. One of these is the heist sub-genre of films, which Soderbergh is absolutely amazing at. Ocean’s Eleven is one of the few films that showcase an over-the-top heist, where a huge ensemble cast of stars is literally out there trying to steal something that is priceless.
It’s a film that needed pitch-perfect execution to work at its best, and Soderbergh was the right guy for it! He didn’t just create a film with one of the tightest screenplays, he also managed to get together an ensemble cast of characters who have all gone on to do great things within the world of Hollywood.
How to Stream or Download Ocean’s Eleven
To stream or to download the film, click on the Download button located below this review. Check out also our review of Ocean’s 8, which is a spin-off from the Ocean’s trilogy.
The Movie Review
The film’s story revolves around its ensemble cast of characters. Danny Ocean is the main guy, a gangster who used to rob banks for fun and absolutely adored his job. In fact, he loved his job so much that after being released from prison, he violates his parole so he can go and propose a new heist idea to his pal Rusty Ryan.
The job involves stealing money from three casinos at the same time in Vegas, and for that, they would need to assemble a team of some really talented individuals. Ocean’s Eleven is the story of how Danny Ocean and Rusty Ryan recruit a fantastic team of people, who manage to pull off one of the greatest heists in the history of cinema.
Soderbergh’s direction for Ocean’s Eleven is incredibly detailed and intricate. Each and every single sequence, and scene, even the moments within the film are timed to perfection. There isn’t a single moment within the film where you think to yourself that this film is being a bit of a slog.
The script is littered head to toe with some of the most high-level comedy that you’ll find, and it works so well in tandem with the way the film is directed. It’s a sharp and witty film, that relies heavily on each joke landing, and boy does each joke land hard.
The screenplay is so intelligently written, it’s almost hard to believe that it’s such a perfectly written screenplay. The writing is intelligent beyond its years, when you compare it with the more recent Ocean’s Eight, it’s night and day. This film has a stylistic writing design, which focuses a whole lot more on characters individually rather than making everyone a funny guy. Danny Ocean, for example, does not manage to land a single joke within the film.
Rusty, on the other hand, lands all of his jokes. Every time you’re going to see Casey Affleck or Don Cheadle’s character on screen, you know you’re in for a laugh.
The performances are magnificent within this film, especially by the main cast. You have Julia Roberts, George Clooney, Brad Pitt, Matt Damon and Andy Garcia; what else would you want?! Every single character has a personality of their own, which makes for some amazing interactions between them.
The characters will have a ton of chemistry between each other, and that is what makes them so interesting! I love how each interaction bounces off of another one. It’s a unique dynamic that isn’t focused on much in films.
The cinematography is one of the few things where I feel I have to criticize this film. Steven Soderbergh was the cinematographer for this film as his alter ego Peter Andrews, which makes sense since this was a film that he was heavily invested in.
I would like to say that he did a decent job, but he missed the mark when compared to the rest of his work. He’s a fantastic cinematographer, but I guess he felt overwhelmed by the amount of work he had to do on the film.
The Bottom Line
In conclusion, Ocean’s Eleven is a film that managed to do the unthinkable. It managed to get nothing but A-List actors on board and make a film that works beautifully. It’s a witty, sharp, and extremely well-written crime drama beyond its years.
It’s a film that manages to keep our eyes pasted on the screen, and doesn’t miss the mark once when it comes to timing every single moment. However, due to some subpar cinematography moments and some really lackluster sequences, Ocean’s Eleven misses the mark on being just perfect.
