Ocean's Eleven (2001)

July 2, 2022 9:07 AM

Less than 24 hours into his parole, charismatic thief Danny Ocean is already rolling out his next plan: In one night, Danny's hand-picked crew of specialists will attempt to steal more than $150 million from three Las Vegas casinos. But to score the cash, Danny risks his chances of reconciling with ex-wife, Tess.

Currently streaming in the US on HBO Max and Peacock Premium, for rent/sale from Amazon, Apple, Youtube, Google Play, etc.

Rotten Tomatoes: "As fast-paced, witty, and entertaining as it is star-studded and coolly stylish, Ocean's Eleven offers a well-seasoned serving of popcorn entertainment."

Roger Ebert: "Serious pianists sometimes pound out a little honky-tonk, just for fun. That's like what Steven Soderbergh is doing in 'Ocean's Eleven.'"

trailer preview

posted by box (26 comments total)

A lot of small mistakes in a movie can be forgiven if everyone involved looks like they're having a good time. And then there's this one, which makes no mistakes and was clearly just a lot of fun for everyone.
posted by Etrigan at 10:44 AM on July 2, 2022 [16 favorites]

Boundless charm and wit from everybody involved. This is what fun looks and sounds like.
posted by wabbittwax at 11:23 AM on July 2, 2022 [9 favorites]

Not a bad beat in the entire movie. I adore it.
posted by kbanas at 12:56 PM on July 2, 2022 [7 favorites]

I haven't actually done the math, but this movie (which came out when Mrs. Mosley and I started dating) has probably furnished the most quotes we consistently use in our 19 year marriage.

"They say taupe is very soothing."

"Hey, I could ask him."

"I'd never been to Belize."

"Oh, Leave it out!"

"You think we need one more? You think we need one more. Alright, we'll get one more."

"He also painted occasionally."

Mrs. Mosley and I actually took a trip to see Monument Valley earlier this year and spent some time in Vegas. Although I discovered that the town just wasn't my speed, I'll never forget staying at the Bellagio and looking for places where they filmed.
posted by AlonzoMosleyFBI at 1:17 PM on July 2, 2022 [1 favorite]

This was a fun movie, but a little overstuffed. I realize it's a remake so they were stuck with eleven, but I think Ocean's Seven or Eight would have felt less like a grab-bag and more like a focused heist. The twist holds up as pretty great though.
posted by rikschell at 1:33 PM on July 2, 2022

A lot of small mistakes in a movie can be forgiven if everyone involved looks like they're having a good time.

Ocean’s 12, tho
posted by ricochet biscuit at 2:11 PM on July 2, 2022 [4 favorites]

Ocean's 11
(we don't talk about 12)
Oceans's 13
Ocean's 7-11 (Logan Lucky)
Ocean's Eight.

Love all of them, and watch them when I need to see something smooth and funny.
posted by alchemist at 10:28 PM on July 2, 2022 [4 favorites]

“Give Dominic your addresses, I got some remaindered furniture I want to send you!”
posted by Nonsteroidal Anti-Inflammatory Drug at 10:54 PM on July 2, 2022

I'll also point out this is one of those instances where the remake is better than the original. Vastly better. I felt embarrassed for everyone involved in the production when I watched the original.
posted by adamrice at 7:20 AM on July 3, 2022 [2 favorites]

The Cine-Files podcast did a two parter, scene by scene, blow by blow exploration of Oceans 11 which will make you love it even more.

For a quick pick me up, go to the IMDb quote page and read it. How this was not nominated I’ll never understand.
posted by TWinbrook8 at 7:48 AM on July 3, 2022 [1 favorite]

The original felt very "oh, hey, are you in town? we're making a movie, come on by! We'll get you a role and figure something out" with all the careful plotting that would imply. This, however, is a near-perfect little bit of genre heist fun that's all a carefully plotted and planned little bit of clockwork. Given the tone of the film, the eventual end isn't in doubt, but watching how it'll get there is half the fun of the ride. The rest is watching the actors clearly having a blast.

I may have to go watch this again and then go watch Logan Lucky, too.
posted by rmd1023 at 9:52 AM on July 3, 2022

I seem to recall a huge part of this movie’s appeal was that it was seen as permission to have fun again and return to normal after the events of 9/11 and was seen as meeting a great need in that regard. To this day, at least for me, it has that “it's okay to be light and frivolous” air about it and acts as cinematic comfort food.
posted by pasici at 1:24 PM on July 3, 2022

When I saw this, I thought it was fine.

Years of crappy heist movies and books later, in which the plan always seems to be "well, we'll sneak in and then improvise and probably blow some stuff up", my opinion of it has gone up a bit.
posted by kyrademon at 2:43 PM on July 3, 2022 [1 favorite]

This one goes into the pantheon of movies that I can watch any time, any day, and still enjoy the heck out of. It’s also one of those films that you can recite along with the actors.

The only misstep I have with the movie is the arrival of the “swat team”. One, even then, no police tactical team is riding in a delivery van. And, two, they would never, never, never roll up to the front door of a casino. They’d come in via the service/loading dock. Casino management would insist on it, so as to not distract the gamblers.
posted by Thorzdad at 4:03 PM on July 3, 2022 [1 favorite]

I certainly wouldn't argue the original is a better film, it's just very different and very much of its era and bound by the limitations that come with that, like not being allowed to actually get away with the money even though the heist does initially succeed.
posted by wierdo at 4:06 AM on July 4, 2022

Ocean's 11
(we don't talk about 12)
Oceans's 13
Ocean's 7-11 (Logan Lucky)
Ocean's Eight.

You missed the first one

Ocean (Out of sight)
posted by fullerine at 5:07 AM on July 4, 2022 [2 favorites]

I would agree that Out of Sight is a spiritual predecessor to Ocean’s Eleven. I think it’s a better film on an artistic level. The hotel bar/seduction sequence is one of the sexiest things I’ve ever seen. It also proved that Clooney’s strategic charm reserve was well-stocked.
posted by wabbittwax at 6:14 AM on July 4, 2022 [11 favorites]

This movie just looked like so much fun to shoot at every moment, you almost don't need a plot - the fact that the plot holds together and is exciting almost feels like a bonus on rewatch.

Out of Sight is in a completely different league. That's a great film and an amazing Clooney performance, but even when he's kidding, the stakes always feel real.

And I don't care, I love Ocean's 12. I love it because it's so stupid. Julia Roberts playing Tess playing Julia Roberts meeting Bruce Willis playing Bruce Willis? I'm sorry. It's so money and it totally knows it.
posted by Mchelly at 10:37 AM on July 5, 2022 [6 favorites]

Incidentally, if you go to Las Vegas and try to eat as much as Rusty does (because "Pitt figured that since the Ocean gang was on such a tight schedule, his character would have to grab fast-food whenever he could."), you will die.
posted by Etrigan at 11:10 AM on July 5, 2022

I insist that there's a hidden gag with Rusty's eating and the wardrobe department. The suits they have him in cost thousands of dollars.
And Rusty is always standing there casually eating a melty chocolate ice cream, or a dripping chili dog. SOMEBODY in the audience was getting really nervous watching that.
posted by bartleby at 11:25 AM on July 5, 2022 [2 favorites]

"Oh darn, I dripped a little chili on the sleeve here. Well, this suit's ruined. Guess I'll take it home with me."

The con never stops.
posted by Etrigan at 11:42 AM on July 5, 2022 [2 favorites]

One of the most perfect soap bubbles of a movie ever made. In that group of films which you must rewatch if you stumble across them while changing channels.

When my dog attempts some sneaky scheme, I tell him, "I saw you before you even got up this morning!"
posted by praemunire at 9:13 PM on July 5, 2022 [3 favorites]

"You suicidal? Only in the morning." I think of this line on any day I must wake up to the alarm.
"It will be nice working with proper villains again." I love Basher!
"Fellas! Fellas! Check this... all... red!" I like to torment my family with this line when we play poker.
posted by narancia at 7:05 AM on July 8, 2022 [2 favorites]

The one tiny bit that sticks in my craw is at the end, with Danny and Tess and Rusty, and Tess says "We've gotta get Rusty a girl."

excuse me, danny and rusty have each other just fine, thank you
please excuse me while I make a trip to AO3
posted by cadge at 8:48 AM on July 8, 2022 [2 favorites]

Ok, yes, but the point of that joke is Rusty’s off-the-cuff reply, “there’s a women’s prison down the road.”
posted by wabbittwax at 5:50 AM on July 9, 2022

In case you haven't seen it since the original trilogy finished, Ocean's Eleven is the kind of film that delightfully gets better when the sequels exist.

My personal favorite is Thirteen, oddly, because Thirteen gets rid of everything remotely resembling a plot in favor of sheer heist slickness. But that makes Eleven retroactively more enjoyable for how well it handles all of its more "classic" movie elements. Clooney and Roberts pull off their romance immaculately, and all the origin-story stuff works like a charm.

And for any time you'd rather a film be more "subversive" with its formula, well, there's Twelve. Which feels destined to be either your favorite or your least favorite movie in the trilogy, in a personality-quiz kind of way.
posted by Tom Hanks Cannot Be Trusted at 11:53 AM on October 21, 2022 [2 favorites]