100 Greatest Movies of All Time...That I Own. # 88 ~ Ocean's Eleven

For starters, yes, it's the remake, not the Rat Pack "Classic".  Can that movie really be defined as "classic"?  I'm thinking classic = old, then yes.  Otherwise....not even close.

But, every good list needs at least one slick heist movie.  This list almost wound up with 4.  Just missing the cut were: Kelly's Heroes, The Thomas Crown Affair and The Italian Job.

Again, remakes for the last two.

And yes, I can hear you now saying, "but wait, any of those three are way better than anything Rob Schneider has ever done..." and I simply say:

You are entitled to your incorrect opinion.  Had it been 125 movies, they would have all made the cut.

However, desperate times call for desperate measures, and believe me, I'm already upset that I think this list is going 100 movies deep without a Jason Statham appearance, which is borderline criminal.

: (

But back to the heist...

It's slick and engaging.  You see it coming, and yet you don't see it coming, all at the same time.  Even upon repeat viewings, you can smile at how clever the movie was without being a "we're way too clever for the audience" which comes across as annoying.   Nope, this one strikes you more of "that was fun" experience.

Which in essence, is much of the basis of this entire list.

The cast is pitch-perfect with all of the leading men, and supporting actors.  You can dislike Clooney or Pitt to your hearts content, but this movie, they simply click in their roles.  In fact, the weakest link in the entire movie comes from the most experienced actor at the time of the movie:

Julia Roberts.

Now, I've never made it any secret that I find her anything less than a "Pretty Woman" but come on, the scene where she plods down the stairs and stomps across the floor when we first meet her?

HahahahahAhahaAHHahaha.

Outrageous.

She is supposed to be sleek and elegant, and I've seen more grace on a football field tackling a running back.  She looks stilted and awkward, and I just find it hard to believe that anyone would go for her to the extent that Ocean does.

Ah well, I continue to suspend my disbelief every time I see it. : )

Merits of the sequel... Oceans 12 was bogged down by a bloated casting decision that sucked the charm from the first.  They redeemed themselves with 13, though I don't own that one.   Perhaps someday?

Julia Roberts - 1
Jason Statham - 0

Somehow this list already feels wonky.

: )