Ocean's Thirteen (Steven Soderbergh, 2007)

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Fletch F. Fletch · #1 Post by **Fletch F. Fletch** » Thu Dec 21, 2006 10:03 am

Teaser trailer is online. I have to say this looks like a lot of fun. Al Pacino as the bad guy this time around? I'm there.

skuhn8 · #2 Post by **skuhn8** » Thu Dec 21, 2006 11:00 am

If it's half as much fun as 12 then I'm all over it. Anyone else out there enjoy 12 twice as much as 11? Got to give Soderbergh credit for breaking the rule on sequals and making them better than the predecessor.

flyonthewall2983 · #3 Post by **flyonthewall2983** » Thu Dec 21, 2006 11:22 am

I liked both equally, I must say. After seeing this teaser, it came as no surprise to me that the Andy Garcia character would join the gang in some fashion.

BTW, am I the only one surprised by the release date? I'm sure it'll perform well in the summer, but I thought it would have kept in tradition with the other films and had a release date sometime around next Christmas.

Antoine Doinel · #4 Post by **Antoine Doinel** » Thu Dec 21, 2006 1:11 pm

skuhn8 wrote:If it's half as much fun as 12 then I'm all over it. Anyone else out there enjoy 12 twice as much as 11? Got to give Soderbergh credit for breaking the rule on sequals and making them better than the predecessor.

11 left me cold, but I really enjoyed 12. So I'm with you - if it's half as fun as 12, then sign me up.

Fletch F. Fletch · #5 Post by **Fletch F. Fletch** » Thu Dec 21, 2006 2:14 pm

skuhn8 wrote:If it's half as much fun as 12 then I'm all over it. Anyone else out there enjoy 12 twice as much as 11? Got to give Soderbergh credit for breaking the rule on sequals and making them better than the predecessor.

Yeah, I really enjoyed 12 as well even though it seemed to leave most critics pretty cold.

I liked how the first film was all about Clooney's character and then they shifted gears and made 12 all about Pitt's character. Also, they gave Matt Damon more screentime in 12 and he pretty much stole every scene he was in.

Highway 61 · #6 Post by **Highway 61** » Thu Dec 21, 2006 4:49 pm

I hear you about Damon. The funniest part of that movie, easy. I still can't even think about the scene where he tries to convince Willis that he figured out The Sixth Sense part way through without cracking up. And his Emily Dickinson rant? Gold! His performance here makes me think he would be a perfect Woody Allen proxy if Woody ever makes another comedy.

As for the teaser, it's only there to say, "Look we got Pacino! Oh, and hey, Andy's a good guy this time!"

Red Beard · #7 Post by **Red Beard** » Sat Dec 23, 2006 1:02 pm

I honestly find the Julia Roberts gag in 12 unbearable, but there were definitely parts that were a lot of fun. Taking the best of the first two and adding Pacino should make 13 quite a bit of fun. The summer release date is much appreciated amidst all of the usual big budget schlock.

Cinesimilitude · #8 Post by **Cinesimilitude** » Sat Dec 23, 2006 1:41 pm

Remember the last time Pacino played a bad guy?

Red Beard · #9 Post by **Red Beard** » Sat Dec 23, 2006 1:45 pm

Thankfully, no.

It couldn't possibly be that bad...could it?

flyonthewall2983 · #10 Post by **flyonthewall2983** » Sat Dec 23, 2006 6:30 pm

Clooney was on Charlie Rose the other night promoting The Good German, and jokingly said that this one is "Ocean's Thirteen: The One We Should Have Made Last Time".

Roger_Thornhill · #11 Post by **Roger_Thornhill** » Tue Dec 26, 2006 1:47 am

I'm surprised at the love for 12 on here considering most critics despised the film. I'm a closet fan. I rarely admit it but I like it more than 11 because it mocked the idea of sequels and the heist genre in general. Plus it's hard not to smile while watching a film where you can tell the entire cast is having the time of their lives.

I look forward to 13.

flyonthewall2983 · #12 Post by **flyonthewall2983** » Tue Dec 26, 2006 10:22 am

I liked 12, but it's more of a caper than 11 was. It lacked a bit of the feeling of camraderie among the gang that the first film had (as defined by the "Claire de Lune" sequence which is a beautiful scene, despite it being an open riff on The Right Stuff). George made mention of this on Charlie Rose, and says the next one goes back to that a bit, combined with being back in Vegas.

Antoine Doinel · #13 Post by **Antoine Doinel** » Thu Mar 15, 2007 7:18 pm

From Variety:

'Ocean's Thirteen' to bow at Cannes
Soderbergh to screen out of competition
By ALISON JAMES

Cannes bow of 'Ocean's Thirteen' will continue the love affair between Hollywood and the fest.

PARIS -- Steven Soderbergh's "Ocean's Thirteen" will make its international bow at Cannes, screening out of competition.
As ever, Cannes is keeping tight-lipped about its program for the 60th annual event, ahead of its official lineup announcement April 19.

The studio and fest have yet to determine a date for the gala screening, with hopes that as many of the pic's lead actors -- George Clooney, Brad Pitt, Matt Damon, Al Pacino, et al -- can attend.

"Thirteen" offers the latest evidence that the Hollywood-Cannes romance is in full bloom.

The fest benefits from the presence of Hollywood stars, while the major studios get a high-profile international bow for their pics. That's become increasingly important as the studios are opening more and more tentpoles with day-and-date summer bows.

However, Sony's launch of "The Da Vinci Code" last year pointed up the perils that Hollywood faces on the Croisette. The pic was resoundingly panned by jet-lagged critics, while other journalists took the opportunity to blast the company's keep-it-under-wraps strategy and its expensive and chaotic post-preem party.

The pic proved critic-proof, grossing $758 million worldwide. But other films in recent years -- as diverse as "Marie Antoinette," "Hollywood Ending" and "The Ladykillers" -- didn't seem to benefit from the high profile.

However, some big Hollywood titles, like "Shrek 2" and "X-Men 3" have been buoyed by Cannes bows.

"Thirteen" reps WB's third out-of-competition presence in Cannes in recent years, following "Troy" in 2004 and "The Matrix Reloaded" in 2003.

The only official acknowledgement so far is fest prexy Gilles Jacob's mention of the May 20 screening of "Chacun son cinema," a feature consisting of three-minute shorts by 35 world-ranking directors to mark the fest's 60th anniversary.

Aside from "Thirteen's" star power, director Soderbergh -- winner of the Palme d'Or in 1989 for his first film "Sex, lies and videotape" -- epitomizes the kind of high-profile international auteur that Cannes likes to showcase.

The helmer went to the Croisette with two other films, "King of the Hill" in competition in 1993 and "The Limey," which screened out of competition in 1999. He was also on the fest's jury in 2003.

Stephen Frears presides over the competition jury this year for the festival, which runs May 16-27.

Fletch F. Fletch · #14 Post by **Fletch F. Fletch** » Thu Mar 29, 2007 9:17 am

New TV spot is on YouTube.

Antoine Doinel · #15 Post by **Antoine Doinel** » Fri Mar 30, 2007 2:37 am

New trailer.

patrick · #16 Post by **patrick** » Mon Apr 02, 2007 10:49 am

It's a shame that Vincent Cassel won't be back for this one, but at least Eddie Izzard will be.

flyonthewall2983 · #17 Post by **flyonthewall2983** » Mon May 07, 2007 8:49 pm

I heard something around the time of the first thing to the effect that Wes Anderson was the first choice for 11. I know for a fact that Owen and Luke Wilson were originally offered the roles of the brothers eventually played by Scott Caan and Casey Affleck. I was just wondering if anyone else knew this for sure.

Antoine Doinel · #18 Post by **Antoine Doinel** » Mon May 07, 2007 9:22 pm

Anderson was never attached to direct. Luke and Owen Wilson were asked to join Ocean's Eleven but both opted to do The Royal Tenenbaums instead.

David Ehrenstein · #19 Post by **David Ehrenstein** » Tue Jun 05, 2007 12:46 pm

Saw it last night. Rather enjoyable in a thoroughly mindless way. There are no characters -- just actors. And the entire film is the con in action. Clooney and Pitt play what they are -- the embodiment of "Mainstream" cool.

Great turns by all sorts of surprising people: Eddie Izzard, Julian Sands and the marvelous Carl Reiner -- who's old enough to be Clooney's grandfather.

Just as sprightly as he was eons ago on Your Show of Shows.

I think Wong Kar-Wai should do the next one.

Cosmic Bus · #20 Post by **Cosmic Bus** » Tue Jun 05, 2007 6:07 pm

A very funny interview from Time with Clooney, Damon, Pitt and Barkin.

flyonthewall2983 · #21 Post by **flyonthewall2983** » Tue Jun 05, 2007 7:09 pm

According to the interview, it sounds like a SE of Twelve is coming out.

Antoine Doinel · #22 Post by **Antoine Doinel** » Wed Jul 04, 2007 10:39 pm

Saw this tonight and thought it was a complete blast, hilarious and the best of the three films hands down. To me, this is the film where the entire group finally clicked really well together. Smaller players like Casey Affleck and Scott Caan are really given room to come into their own and as a whole, the plot doesn't focus on one person all that long. It's all about the heist and I think that's what I most enjoyed.

Technically speaking, the set design of the casino is wonderfully garish. The score by David Holmes is ridiculously Mancini-like, and even the credit scroll could've been lifted from any '60s comedy caper.

Fletch F. Fletch · #23 Post by **Fletch F. Fletch** » Wed Jun 18, 2008 9:38 am

Antoine Doinel wrote:Saw this tonight and thought it was a complete blast, hilarious and the best of the three films hands down. To me, this is the film where the entire group finally clicked really well together. Smaller players like Casey Affleck and Scott Caan are really given room to come into their own and as a whole, the plot doesn't focus on one person all that long. It's all about the heist and I think that's what I most enjoyed.

Technically speaking, the set design of the casino is wonderfully garish. The score by David Holmes is ridiculously Mancini-like, and even the credit scroll could've been lifted from any '60s comedy caper.

Agreed. I quite enjoyed this film for the mindless romp that it is. Loads of ridiculously convoluted plot twists, tons of throwaway gags (like thumbing their nose at the mini-controversy over Matt Damon's prosthetic nose while making The Brothers Grimm with the Weinsteins), a few amusing cameos (Eddie Izzard, Vincent Cassel, etc.) and bringing it all back to the first film by ending it the same way. There were little moments that really stood out for me, like Clooney and Pitt lamenting on how all the old, classic casinos are gone and that whole way of life. The subplot of Affleck and Caan starting a worker's revolt/revolution in Mexico was pretty damn funny as well. I also agree with you re: Holmes' score. Great stuff. His best soundtrack, yet... well, except maybe for Out of Sight which was amazing.

#24 Post by **domino harvey** » Sat Aug 23, 2008 9:17 pm

I finally saw this and while I consider Ocean's Twelve to be Soderbergh's best work, this surely ranks among his worst. Phoned-in and charmless, the film undoes everything of interest Soderbergh said in the second film. All that's left is a pale imitation of the first capery Ocean's, except this film (in stark contrast to Twelve) suddenly thinks its bland plot matters, even when there's about as much suspense and interest in the laborious plodding as betting on the sun coming up. There's not even any aesthetic joys to be found-- Soderbergh's always trying new things behind the camera, but the blown up stock doesn't work for this project, and his compositions are surprisingly lifeless and lazy. What a disappointment!

jon · #25 Post by **jon** » Sat Aug 23, 2008 11:39 pm

domino harvey wrote:I finally saw this and while I consider Ocean's Twelve to be Soderbergh's best work, this surely ranks among his worst. Phoned-in and charmless, the film undoes everything of interest Soderbergh said in the second film. All that's left is a pale imitation of the first capery Ocean's, except this film (in stark contrast to Twelve) suddenly thinks its bland plot matters, even when there's about as much suspense and interest in the laborious plodding as betting on the sun coming up. There's not even any aesthetic joys to be found-- Soderbergh's always trying new things behind the camera, but the blown up stock doesn't work for this project, and his compositions are surprisingly lifeless and lazy. What a disappointment!

Ocean's Twelve was always my favorite in the trilogy, and it bothers me that he seems to trash it. He apologized for Twelve and said that Thirteen should be titled "what twelve should have been", or something along those lines. It's a shame. Anyone know anything more about Soderbergh's thoughts on his films, most notably Twelve and Thirteen?