The third installment of Steven Soderbergh's slick, star-studded heist
series just might be the best, as Danny Ocean (George Clooney) and
company pull off another elaborate caper, this time in the name of
revenge. Reuben Tishkoff (Elliott Gould), one of Ocean's original
eleven, lies nearly comatose after a myocardial infarction brought on by
shock. His dreams of regaining his former glory on the Vegas strip have
been dashed by the dastardly Willie Bank (Al Pacino), with whom Reuben
foolishly went into business to build the biggest and flashiest casino
the the world has ever seen. Bank took Reuben for all he was worth, and
now, the famously loyal thirteen won't rest until Bank has been brought
down. They execute this noble cause through complex, daring, and
brilliant machinations that make the most of everyone's talents,
including Yen's (Shaobo Qin) acrobatics, Linus's (Matt Damon) acting
abilities, and Basher's (Don Cheadle) heavy machinery. Virgil and Turk
Malloy (Casey Affleck and Scott Caan) get a few hilarious moments as
they brew up a revolution in a Mexican plastics plant, while Rusty (Brad
Pitt) and Danny coolly preside over the action like omniscient,
infallible deities, always about three steps ahead of the game. The
villain's downfall is utterly satisfying due to the pure capitalist
evil channelled by Pacino, while Ellen Barkin vamps it up as Bank's
"cougar" of an assistant. The camaraderie of the thirteen lends heart to
these cool criminals, best captured by the sappy letters Basher sends
Reuben, which ultimately bring him back to life. Vegas is effectively
captured through seamless editing and beautiful photography, with the
trappings of uber-wealth making the fantasy even more fantastical.