Ocean's Thirteen (2007)

Links: IMDb * Wikipedia * AllMovie * Rotten Tomatoes

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

Inside Man (2006)

Links: IMDb * Wikipedia * AllMovie * Rotten Tomatoes

Premise: A bank robbery gone right. By the side that robs the bank, that is.

Directed by: Spike Lee

Stars: Denzel Washington * Clive Owen * Chiwetel Ejiofor * Christopher Plummer * Jodie Foster * Willem Dafoe

Review: An excellent bank heist movie. Owen plays the ringleader, Washington the detective trying to resolve the situation. One's a good guy, one's a bad guy. Only thing is, you really like them both.

Owen ostensibly seizes control of a bank, and seems to be way smarter than the police have thought. The criminals all wear identical clothing and force the hostages to do the same. They call each other variations of the same name, so no one knows what the real names are. They know police procedures and what they want from the bank.

Which is the real hook of the movie. Apparently a powerful man (Plummer) has something hidden in the bank and sends Foster to retrieve it. Owen and the thieves can all leave as far as the bank is concerned, as long as Foster returns with the items. While Owen plays mind games with the cops, the rich put pressure on the detectives to resolve the matter quickly.

The movie is played smartly and tightly. Foster is used sparingly, with most of the chemistry in the movie coming from the two leading men and the little backstory there is comes from Plummer and his explanations to Foster and the detective - to which Owen puts an interesting angle.

With great dialogue, great performances from solid actors, and a plot that moves quickly, the film is excellent. One of the best bank heist movies ever.

Overall: Good