For some reason smart criminals that make horrible decisions is always one of the most interesting film topics all the time. Add to that the idea of a federal marshal, Karen Sisco (Jennifer Lopez), falling in love with a notorious bank robber, Jack Foley (George Clooney), who’s just escaped from prison and you’ve got a smarter than life caper movie where the bad guys and the good guys are almost as irrelevant as the caper itself.
Watching this movie makes it completely understandable how Soderbergh got to eventually direct the Ocean’s Eleven trilogy. It’s a smart witty film that doesn’t forget its plot but understands at the same time that it isn’t the most important element of the film. What pushes this film from just mediocre into a somewhat special category of wonderous at times is the odd relationship between Foley and Sisco and how we can continually see Foley navigate himself through some of the most dangerous situations because he knows “how to ask for it”.
George Clooney’s massive screen presence is what keeps this movie moving forward. Clooney is one of the few actors working today with the screen presence that was really required back in the 50s and 60s of filmmaking with top actors like Cary Grant and it always shows as he stands there delivers a line and no matter how out of place it may be you just have to hang onto every syllable. Add the roles from the talent of Luis Guzman, Albert Brooks, Don Cheadle, Steve Zhan, Ving Rhames, Catherine Keener and Dennis Farina makes for an interesting solution to the problem of what else to do with this movie.
Rating: 7.0/10
Seven out of Ten??!! As my dad would say, "What happened to the other three points?"
I kid of course, since this movie is one of my all-time favorites. But you must admit, the two close-quarter scenes between Clooney & Lopez (in the trunk and later in the bar) might very well be cinematic perfection.
You're perfectly correct sir. Those two scenes are what amplifies Clooney's great talent in the movie. I love particularly the bar scene where they're playing to be two fictional people and he wants to break the allusion and J. Lo immediately starts to squirm a little bit (in a good way) saying "not just yet" Letting the fantasy take over the reality.
Fantastic scene. I've been overtaken by Soderbergh recently if you haven't noticed.
So I repeat – why not a higher score?
You didn't mention another awesome bit with two more amazing actors: the bit where Karen Sisco knocks on the house door looking for Maurice and Glen. She's ushered inside and talks with Moselle and Kenneth (Viola Davis and Isaiah Washington!), and gets to give us that awesome bit about "You wanted to tussle…"
Seriously, this film gets better everytime I watch it.
Apologies for not noticing the Soderbergh bender. I myself have wanted to start doing some rewatching, especially amongst the dvd's I own that don't get played quite as often (namely GOOD GERMAN, THE LIMEY, and SOLARIS)
I guess the score isn't higher because while all those little bits are enjoyable I think that when I step back from the movie and look at the big picture I don't think the movie does that much in the end. It's one of the few movies where I go up and down in my enjoyment from minute to minute. Yes there're some fantatstic stand out scenes but at the same time I think movies need to do a little more to get the elite status of those other three points.
And yes I do like this movie a little more each time I watch it too. This is my second time watching the movie.
You're perfectly correct sir. Those two scenes are what amplifies
Clooney's great talent in the movie. I love particularly the bar scene
where they're playing to be two fictional people and he wants to break
the allusion and J. Lo immediately starts to squirm a little bit (in a
good way) saying "not just yet" Letting the fantasy take over the
reality.
Fantastic scene. I've been overtaken by Soderbergh recently if you haven't noticed.