Plot Analysis And Review Of The Movie Ocean'S Eleven
The movie I have chosen is Ocean's Eleven. This movie was released in 2001 and in my opinion has created one of the most enthralling Hollywood trilogies of all time.
Even today, even though I've watched this movie dozens of times, I still won't mind watching it again. At first look the cast itself blows you away, with George Clooney, Bradd Pitt, Matt Damon, Julia Roberts and many other superstars. One look at any scene of the movie will make you want to watch the entire film and for those who have watched it already, one scene is enough for people to recognize the movie.
Coming to the plot, the film has all the aspects required to gab the audience's attention. Comedy, suspense, technology, heists, you name it, this film has it. Las Vegas, casino, heist. It is exhilarating how a group of eleven people manage to pull of a robbery of $160, 000, 000. George Clooney plays the character of Danny Ocean. Bradd Pitt is portrayed as Rusty Ryan, Matt Damon plays the character of a newbie to the robbery scene wanting to get into the big leagues through Danny and Rusty. The villain too is played brilliantly by Andy Garcia, the ruthless owner of the three best casinos in Las Vegas. It is amazing to see how such a sophisticated story is brought to life by the director Steven Soderbergh. The heist itself is brilliantly staged making the movie that much more exciting and by the end I am usually standing up and applauding this work of art (metaphorically speaking. I am not crazy enough to do it every time I see the movie). Every heist film has three main plot pointers:
- The team’s formed.
- Robbery takes place.
- Escape.
Each character is made to have a strong foundation in one skill necessary in the heist. The characters are also created in a way that they seem different from normal people. It makes the audience believe that this group of people is attempting something huge. It also tells them that even though the team knows that they might end up in prison attempting this heist, the fact is that they are crazy enough to pull it off.
The robbery itself is dazzling and involves the use of deception, con-men, high level planning and an intense coordination of time and skill. Technology used to break into the vault of the casino, introduces the audience to equipment that people might have not even known existed in real life. Movies like these also inspire innovations in the field of science and therefore, devices that might not have existed during the making of the film, could be made in the future. This aspect also draws attention of people interested in science.
The escape sequence of the movie is one of the most awesome and thrilling acts in the movie. I say this because, the characters literally walk out of the casino with all the cash in their hands and while the FBI and local law enforcement forces chase a car driven by a robot controlled remotely, the thieves are celebrating their achievement. This allows the audience to understand that these people are not the kind of people we are usually accustomed to and that they are special people with a special set of skills when brought together can produce something incredible, making even the impossible seem possible. The cinematography is very good, and this is visible in the first scene itself. The movie starts with background music which sounds like metal clanging that a person would normally hear in a prison. Soon Danny Ocean, played by George Clooney, appears to be sitting inside a prison and is soon escorted outside. The scene also makes us believe that Danny is the protagonist of the movie. Soon Rusty (aka Bradd Pitt) meets him outside the prison and the audience now knows that an exciting movie is truly underway. The scenes of Las Vegas, aerial shots of Caesar’s Palace, the fountains at Bellagio and other casinos help us take in the beauty of Vegas. It shows us why it is such a famous place and why people crave to visit it at least once in their lifetime.
Sound is also handled well in the movie. It is aimed at giving us a feel of the 80’s and 90’s reminding us of a time before electronic music and presents before us jazz composition. Instruments such as saxophones, bass guitars and such are used while planning of the robbery giving us a feel of thrill.
