The Garden of the Blind

Saturday, I finally saw Ocean’s 12, which feel through the cracks as far as theater viewing, like just about everything else has since I graduated and moved away from Logan (regular movie attendance was one of the advantages of living near the Cinefour).

I liked the movie. While it wasn’t nearly as good as the first, it is a decent sequel, and even manages to make a few improvements over its predecessor. Julia Roberts, for example, had a few moments when she seemed to be enjoying herself, which wasn’t the case in the former film, where everyone else (even Andy Garcia) was having a ball. By contrast, the rest of the cast wasn’t having quite as much fun.

The fact that the cast was so big was a problem. The first movie barely kept us on top of 13 key players (11 thieves, Tess, and Benedict), and this one, by adding two more major characters, just couldn’t keep it up. Bernie Mac’s character was reduced to a one line joke about vanity (based on what could have been a random monologue he gave in the first film) brought out a few times during the movie, but never with any purpose. Carl Reiner’s character missed most of the action (although he was quite enjoyable during his relatively few moments on screen), and of the rest of the thieves, only about 4 had any significant presence on screen. The rest were just set pieces to be moved around periodically, and placed in the backgrounds of a few scenes so we remember that they’re there.

The film introduced two significant new characters. One is a cop, played by Catherine Zeta Jones. While I typically enjoy her performances (especially when you can contrast them with Renée Zellweger’s), this one was a bit flat. Actually, it was fine, but it doesn’t stick out as one of the best parts of the film. Her interaction with Rusty (Brad Pitt) provides some fun moments, but those are mostly because of Pitt. The other new character, a rich demi-aristocrat played by Vincent Cassell, was quite a bit of fun. He is the kind of guy you love to loathe, and at the same time, he is quite a contrast to the principle gang of thieves. His character has, in my estimation, the best scene in the film, which plays as part of Julia Roberts’s best scene of both films (note: she doesn’t really do anything, which may be why it went so well for her).

With all its failings, the film is saved by George Clooney and Brad Pitt. It was those two actors who set the tone of lighthearted fun that has been the soul of the franchise. While they don’t get as many moments as they had the first time around, they just lighten everything up when they step on screen, and their off screen antics certainly helped keep the mood during production. Add to that Matt Damon’s generally enjoyable performance (especially once things get moving), and you’ve got a winning film. It may not be better than its prequel, but at least it was enjoyable in its own right.