Ocean’s 11 (1960)

Danny Ocean gathers a group of his World War II compatriots to pull off the ultimate Las Vegas heist. Together the eleven friends plan to rob five Las Vegas casinos in one night. (IMDb)

The heist is bland: A three-step or so process monotonously repeated four times. Fortunately, it’s somehow only about a quarter of the film: Post-heist, some decent criminal intrigue culminates in a hilariously unexpected ending, while the lazily-paced pre-heist chunk sees Sinatra and co.–oozing suaveness, in hilarious contrast to their anxious cohort Sypros–recruit their crew: An uneventful first half that nevertheless charms, in spite of a few bits of macho misogyny too strong to ignore.

7/10  (Good)

Ocean’s Eleven (2001)

Danny Ocean and his eleven accomplices plan to rob three Las Vegas casinos simultaneously. (IMDb)

This film would be entertaining enough with just a neat, elaborate heist (which it has), but it takes it up a notch with a steady stream of quick and witty dialogue, smoothly delivered by the effortlessly charismatic Clooney and Pitt, matching the brilliance of their cool schemes punch for punch. The editing is just as slick, with retro slide scene transitions and a chill Vegas-flavoured soundtrack. The “got the girl” ending is the only thing that’s a bit distasteful in this great caper flick.

8/10 (Great)