• It’s a very entertaining film- a strong narrative, great actors (clearing having a ball), and well directed by Soderbergh who edits it fiercely at a great pace and utilizes his unending talents as a director of mise-en-scene with his trademark golden lighting
  • Strong Jazz score
  • Clooney is perfect to take on the Sinatra role (of an original film that is far from being a masterpiece). He’s not scared off by Sinatra’s swagger and carries the confidence of Danny Ocean
  • Pitt’s rusty is great as well- plays off Clooney like Dean Martin did Sinatra—and he’s eating in half his scenes (this is a Pitt thing (think phone booth in fight club) similar to Cruise and Dustin Hoffman with their running obsession in films)
  • Split screen usage
  • Playful transitions- wipes
  • The yellow bar lighting on faces of the two mega stars during the scheming is borderline genius-work
  • Chandeliers in that trademark Soderbergh golden/orange hue—very elaborate and decadent (he’d go back to the hotels in Vegas in Behind the Candelabra)
  • Love the beautiful Bellagio fountain ending
  • Nods to the original film with Henry Silva in the crowd at the fight at the EO-Eleven song
  • Golden elevator
  • The assembling of the crew montage isn’t revolutionary filmmaking but very engaging and entertaining
  • There’s a bit of Newman and Redford here (obviously the sting comes to mind before butch with the heist premise) with Pitt and Clooney- great stuff
  • Recommend but not in top 10 of 2001