Review of Ocean's Twelve (2004) by Steven C — 17 Mar 2011

First things first. "Ocean's Twelve" is one of my favorite films. I know it's silly but I truly love this movie. I feel no shame about saying that. I think why "Ocean's Twelve" is so hard to digest for the casual viewer (or large fan of "Ocean's Eleven") is that, in Steven Soderbergh's eyes, it's not a sequel.

Technically the film is categorized as a sequel and of course the story does pick up where the first film left off, but "Ocean's Twelve" is first and foremost an ode to Jean-Luc Godard. Where "Ocean's Eleven" was a clear tribute to American film in the 1960s, "Ocean's Twelve" is an extremely loving tribute to French New Wave.

I won't take the time here to explain what that means to the uninformed, but if you are aware, the references nearly slap you across the face- in the most pleasant way possible of course. What I also love about this film is the cinematography.

If someone were to ask what film contained my favorite camera work, it's "Ocean's Twelve." The dialogue, the actors, the scenery, the music (one of my all time favorite scores by David Holmes) and the all around sense of fun make this a film I can watch endlessly.

On a side note, I love that all these Daniel Ocean films can be taken as stand alone pieces. Of course they can act as a trilogy but I think they are each extremely clever and enticing in their own rights- "Ocean's Twelve" of course being my favorite.