Retro Film Review: Ocean's Thirteen (2007)

Few American filmmakers have filmography as diverse in terms of style, genre and themes as Steven Soderbergh does. Soderbergh's body of work, on the other hand, is characterised by uneven quality in his films. Alongside rave critical reviews, prestigious festival awards at Cannes and elsewhere, came the remake of Solaris, which turned out to be more boring than the Soviet original—a feat that Tarkovsky enthusiasts deemed impossible. Fortunately, Soderbergh knows how to bounce back from such disappointments, and good example could be found in the critical and box office success of his 2007 action comedy Ocean's Thirteen.

The film represents the final part of trilogy which began in 2001 with Ocean’s Eleven, immensely successful remake of 1960 heist film starring Frank Sinatra. The plot is set in Las Vegas, where the main protagonist, Danny Ocean (played by Clooney), again reassembles the team of top professional criminals. The reason for the gathering is the misfortune of their mentor, Reuben Tishkoff (played by Eliott Gould), who suffered a heart attack after being swindled by the unscrupulous Las Vegas hotel mogul Willy Bank (played by Pacino). Danny and his friends decide to avenge their friend by robbing Bank and sabotaging the opening of his hotel.

It can be argued that Ocean's Thirteen represents the best film in the trilogy. The main argument can be found in simplicity of the plot and the complete focus on action. With the protagonists already established in the previous two films, and without female characters that could burden the narrative with romantic subplots, Soderbergh was able to concentrate solely on depicting how Danny Ocean and his crew would succeed in their plan. He demonstrated considerable creativity in doing so, although at times such experiments look self-serving, while the plot is not always completely clear.

On the other hand, many of those flaws were compensated for by the impressive and very enthusiastic ensemble cast. The formidable gathering of actors from first two films was joined by two new big names. Al Pacino shines in a role somewhat atypical for him, alongside Ellen Barkin, who had not been seen in major Hollywood productions for a long time.

What is most important for the film is that the good atmosphere from the set translated into entertainment for the viewers. In that sense, Ocean's Thirteen might be the best remake and tribute to the original 1960 film — a project conceived as an excuse for Sinatra and his "Rat Pack" to have fun in Las Vegas while making a film. Times have changed, but fortunately, not so much that today's filmmakers are prevented from creating quality Hollywood entertainment.

RATING: 6/10 (++)

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