Danny
Ocean (George Clooney) and his team of thieves are tracked down by
Terry Benedict (Andy Garcia) and given two weeks to return the
money they stole, plus interest. The team heads to Europe for a
job and encounter a master thief known as the Night Fox (Vincent
Cassel), who may have more to do with their reentry into crime
than they know. Along the way, they are tracked by Isabel
(Catherine Zeta-Jones), an old flame of Rusty’s (Brad Pitt) who
happens to be a Europol agent.
CRITIQUE
Matt Damon is a star. If that fact hasn’t already been proven with
his Bourne franchise, it is with Ocean’s Twelve. Not only does
a tickling subplot involve his increased leadership in the group but
there are certain scenes he quietly takes over. For example, when he
references Emily Dickinson, when he takes part in negotiations
alongside Pitt and Clooney, and, most hilariously, in a scene where
his mother gets the group out of jail. The script may not be as fresh
as the original film, but as a sequelOcean’s Twelve is just as fun as Eleven.
The ensemble cast and the caper film seem a natural fit, never more
so than in the hands of ace auteur Steven Soderbergh. If a bit of the
novelty has worn off, that can’t really be blamed on director or cast.
The performances have a congenial and lived-in feel, while the new
actors are clearly having just as much of a good time, too. Similarly,
Soderbergh is as stylish as ever. His way of introducing each European
city is unique and have a ‘60s influence. Plus, they are gorgeous.
Amsterdam, Rome, and Paris just can’t be beat and there’s a stopover
in Lake Como,
Italy for good measure. Soderbergh also uses parallel shots consisting
of things like the same angle and use of slow motion in standout
sequences.
If anything must be singled out as the possible source of the
slightly underwhelming feeling here, George Nolfi’s script might be
it. The interesting premise of two thieves competing has to kind of
struggle for screen time against the cop subplot. The character of
master thief Le Marque acts also as a bit of a deus ex machina, not
usually good for any type of story. What Nolfi retains about Eleven
makes Twelve work as well as it does, however. The rapport
between Danny’s gang is just entertaining. You’ll recognize the
brotherly bickering of Scott Caan and Casey Affleck, the suave and
genial duo of Pitt and Clooney, and the way the full heist isn’t
revealed until the end as hallmarks from the original film. I also
like that the “romance rekindled” subplot here shifts from Clooney to
Pitt. Dare we hope that Damon is next?
As the leaders, Clooney and Pitt just have the veteran wit mastered
and they work well together. The postmodern bit that Julia’s character
goes through will stick in your memory, no matter what you think of
it. Garcia doesn’t get enough screen time, Cassel
is good, and has anyone else mentioned that Albert Finney cameos as Le
Marque? That this is a good ensemble goes without saying and I for one
hope a script like Eleven’s awaits Thirteen.
THE VIDEO
Those great locations are seen in all their glory in this very good
2.35:1 anamorphic widescreen presentation.
THE AUDIO
The memorable sound of this film is presented in both Dolby Digital
5.1 and Surround 2.0. A French language track is offered as are
English, French, and Spanish subtitles.
THE EXTRAS
Only the film’s theatrical trailer, which is good as far as
trailers go, whetting the appetite for the film, but there should have
been more special features.
FINAL THOUGHTS
Ocean’s Twelve
is not as fresh as its predecessor but it still has an exceptional
ensemble cast, stylish direction, and lots of fun in its marrow. The
storyline of competing thieves is an intriguing one that could have
been written better but no one could object to the appearance of
Europe or the new cast members. The film is, in the end, more than
worth the price of a rental.
