Ocean’s 11

Movie Information

In Brief: Quite the best thing about the 1960 Ocean's 11 is that it formed the basis for Steven Soderbergh's 2001 Ocean's Eleven. That's a statement that's likely to wring the withers of fans of Frank Sinatra and the Rat Pack, but the truth is the original movie just plain isn't very good, unless you're satisfied just "hanging out" with Frank his friends. And, for anyone looking for a hint of the glory days of director Lewis Milestone, it's a truly dispiriting experience. It's an ungainly looking film with flat TV lighting, ugly sets and a general air of having been thrown together — which it largely was. The whole idea was that it could be made quickly and cheaply, with Frank and his pals shooting the movie in their downtime between their Las Vegas shows. It feels like it, too. If I want to watch the Rat Pack, I'll take John Sturges' wild west version of Gunga Din, Sergeants 3 (1962). Or, better yet, Gordon Douglas' Robin and the 7 Hoods (1964). If I want a caper comedy about robbing Vegas casinos, I'll go with the remake of this.
Score:

Genre: Heist Comedy
Director: Lewis Milestone (All Quiet on the Western Front)
Starring: Frank Sinatra, Dean Martin, Sammy Davis Jr., Peter Lawford, Angie Dickinson, Richard Conte, Joey Bishop, Akim Tamiroff
Rated: NR

The Hendersonville Film Society will show Ocean’s 11 Sunday, Feb. 7, at 2 p.m. in the Smoky Mountain Theater at Lake Pointe Landing Retirement Community (behind Epic Cinemas), 333 Thompson St., Hendersonville.

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About Ken Hanke
Head film critic for Mountain Xpress from December 2000 until his death in June 2016. Author of books "Ken Russell's Films," "Charlie Chan at the Movies," "A Critical Guide to Horror Film Series," "Tim Burton: An Unauthorized Biography of the Filmmaker."

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One thought on “Ocean’s 11

  1. T.rex

    Love The Rat Pack, Dean was my favorite, but yes this is not really a good movie. Like you said, its fun just to hang out with the boys. It is perfect background for poker night.

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