“Ocean’s Twelve” Directed by Steven
Soderbergh Warner Bros.
Life was already difficult for the motley crew of professional
thieves, with a vengeance-obsessed casino owner demanding their
money and perhaps their lives. But when the pedicure-loving con man
was thrown in jail and a French master thief named Night Fox came
into the picture, things really took a turn for the worse. On
paper, the story of “Ocean’s Twelve” may make
slightly more sense than resurrecting Frank Sinatra to reprise his
title role in the original version of this film’s 2001
predecessor. However, with the renowned Steven Soderbergh directing
and half of Hollywood’s acting A-list in the cast,
“Ocean’s Twelve” manages to match its older
brother, a modern heist classic, in terms of fun and flash, while
still paying tribute to the Rat Pack slickness of the 1960
“Ocean’s Eleven.” “Ocean’s
Twelve” kick-starts with the somber Terry Benedict (Andy
Garcia), wearer of many sinister tuxedoes and owner of the recently
robbed Bellagio casino, tracking down the leader of that heist,
Danny Ocean (George Clooney), and all his accomplices. Benedict
wants his money back, and if his wishes are not met in two weeks,
Danny and the boys may be going to the great casino in the sky.
Having already spent most of the proceeds from “The Benedict
Job,” the group heads to Europe in search of profit, and
predictably, the stakes are raised. Adding to their troubles are
hotshot detective Isabel Lahiri (Catherine Zeta-Jones) and
unanswered questions such as, “Who is this mysterious
Frenchman determining our destiny?” (this one gets resolved)
and “Why is Brad Pitt’s character once again eating in
every scene?” (this one, maybe not). Soderbergh tells the
story in a fast-paced and exciting way, but he knows when to slow
it down to give the ensemble cast its well-deserved spotlight. What
shines most in “Ocean’s Twelve” is not gadgets or
explosions, but rather the often-hilarious interactions between the
top-notch actors. Soderbergh lets each cast member get the most out
of his or her character (see Bernie Mac as aforementioned
salon-frequenting thief) and also excel in group scenes. In
exchanges such as one on a train platform in Holland, in which
Danny’s age is speculated upon by the whole crew, the actors
are not only funny, but are also clearly having a great time. As a
result, the audience relaxes and the experience of watching
“Ocean’s Twelve” becomes one of pure escapist
fun. The look and feel of “Ocean’s Twelve” are as
sharp and slick as its dialogue. Soderbergh employs a wide range of
vivid colors which, coupled with stylish, moody lighting and
gorgeous locations, make for one powerful serving of eye candy. The
movie also sounds as good as it looks, with David Holmes’s
score, alternately swinging and coolly subdued, providing the
perfect aural backdrop for intense action, nervous sneaking around
or intriguing conversation. Like its predecessor,
“Ocean’s Twelve” favors style over substance
“”mdash; but not by as much as one might think. True, the film does
not always adhere very closely to reality, however, doing so would
ruin the fun of it. There are undeniably a few plot holes and some
story questions are glossed over. But does this matter? No, of
course not “”mdash; what is important are the exchanges between the
well-crafted, quirky characters and the slick methods of presenting
this visually appealing story (with quite a few plot surprises,
when all is said and done). “Ocean’s Twelve”
revels in not taking itself too seriously, and thus encourages the
viewer to relax and laugh a little bit. Sure, it may not win any
Oscars, but this movie will at least take your mind off of finals
for two hours. ““ Nick Rudman