Cinema Review (From Barry And District News)

Cinema Review

Ocean's Eleven (12) ***

STEVEN Soderbergh seems to be the film critic's new pet dog. Since winning an Oscar for Traffic last year, each of his previous films seem to have jumped from three to five stars. But his ability to adapt to different genres is first class.

In this re-make, Danny Ocean has just been released on parole from prison. Straight after release, he teams back up with his old partner in crime to rob a casino, but in order to achieve this goal they assign ten more people to help with the job, ranging from an English bank robber to a circus gymnast.

There's also the pointless love sub-plot with the wasted Julia Roberts and George Clooney. Filmed as a slick, 1970s-style film, Ocean's Eleven looks promising. Boasting an amazing cast of Clooney, Brad Pitt, Matt Damon, Andy Garcia and Casey Affleck, the film looks like something special - but it's not!

The thing that really let's the film down is the script. Although the dialogue isn't bad and a few one liners may get a couple of laughs, the script never engages.

Soderbergh has adopted this genre well using 70's style music and split screens, but he doesn't keep the audience in his grasp - he grabs them at the start but lets them go half way through.

If you want a film with superb acting, look no further than Ocean's Eleven. There's nothing emotional here but the performances from Pitt and Damon are first class. It's a shame Roberts wasn't given a decent role.

Apparently, the film surpasses the original so fans will not be disappointed. For some, this will be the best film of the year so far. Fans will be happy enough with the performances but for me, basically, if you get a pin and pop it through the slick glossy surface, all you get is thin air!