Ocean's Eleven (2001)

In an era in which new ideas seem to be few and far between, it should come as no surprise to anyone that Hollywood decided to remake the original Ocean's Eleven.  That being said, I must begin this review by stating that I attempted to view the movie in the best possible light, and was genuinely excited about the notion of a remake.  However, I was pretty skeptical, and as it turn out rightfully so.

     The original 1960 movie starred Frank Sinatra, Dean Martin, Sammy Davis Jr., Peter Lawford, and Joey Bishop, along with an excellent supporting cast that included Shirley McClaine, Akim Tamiroff, and Henry Silva, among others.  The remake stars George Clooney, Brad Pitt, Julia Roberts, Andy Garcia, and Don Cheadle. 

     The movie is certainly worth watching as it is an entertaining film, yet it fails to capture the essence of the original in several respects.  Hollywood could not recreate the on-screen camaraderie of the Rat Pack for the obvious reason that it stemmed from genuine off-screen friendships. They tried to do the next best thing and brought in several A-list stars to fill in the pieces, but it did not work.  After all, how many late nights do you think George Clooney, Brad Pitt, and Don Cheadle spent in the steam room drinking till dawn?  Exactly.  The true friendship of the Rat Pack was what made their on-screen chemistry so very palpable and it is something that cannot be readily fabricated.  

     The plot was also significantly watered down insofar as the original movie centered around a plan to rob five casinos as opposed to the one casino in the remake; the very grand nature of the scheme itself is thus removed.  However, there are bright spots in the film, particularly the excellent acting of Don Cheadle, who was also phenomenal in The Rat Pack as Sammy Davis Jr. Andy Garcia is also very good as always, and the cinematography and location shooting is excellent.

     I also do not think the original Ocean’s Eleven was the greatest movie ever made, and in fact it was never intended to be.  Frank himself said, “We’re not setting out to make Hamlet or Gone With the Wind.  The idea is to hang out together, find fun with broads, and have a great time.  We gotta make pictures people enjoy.”  They did just that.