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Premise: Danny Ocean and his crew get revenge on Al Pacino for his mistreatment of Reuben.
Directed by: Steven Soderbergh
Stars: George Clooney * Brad Pitt * Matt Damon * Al Pacino * Andy Garcia * Elliot Gould * Don Cheadle * Bernie Mac * Scott Caan * Casey Affleck * Eddie Izzard * Ellen Barkin * Vincent Cassel
Review: A heist movie. It's a little more over-the-top than the previous two movies but returns to the slick and glossy nature of the first film, rather than the European feel of the second movie.
Reuben (Gould) goes into business with Bank (Pacino) and gets shafted. Ocean and company come together in order to break the hotel & casino owner (whose catchphrase is "Can't break the Bank" obviously) for revenge.
It's a caper wherein Ocean is always a few steps ahead of his opponents, and while the crime is the plot, the focus is less on the crime than the interactions between the characters. The snappy dialogue is excellent as always. Characters get a little more definition than from earlier films; this makes the films feel more alive than some series where characters change little - if at all - between installments. Casey Affleck's character, for example, begins a somewhat humourous revolt in a Mexican die-making facility. Matt Damon moves up in the ranks of con men from basic pickpocketing - the first movie - to a more involved deception in this film. Nice to see the development.
Eddie Izzard and Ellen Barkin join the cast, which features a returning Andy Garcia from the first film and Vincent Cassel from the second. There's also an appearance from the hired goon from the first film (the one who helped Ocean by pretending to beat him up). David Paymer (playing the VUP - Very Unimportant Person) is excellent as the put-upon hotel inspector who suffers indignity upon indignity.
The directing is slick again, giving the feeling that Soderbergh stands back and lets the stars work their magic. (The second film had more of an artistic direction feel to it, coming across as a more forced interaction between director and actors - which may have led to its being viewed less favorably by some.)
Delightful.
Overall: Good
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