Blockbuster.co.uk - DVD - Rent 'Ocean's Twelve'

"It's not in my nature to be mysterious. But I can't talk about it and I can't talk about why..."

Esteemed director Steven Soderbergh returns us to Danny Ocean's glossy world of crime, cash and glamour in Ocean's Twelve, a spirited caper full of surprises and possibly the coolest A-list cast ever assembled for any movie, let alone a sequel. Producer Jerry Weintraub, previously responsible for Nashville, Diner and the Karate Kid movies, readily agrees. "We had a fantastic cast, a brilliant director, a great script and a wonderful story." Not too shabby, we think.

Three years down the road from the heist that made them all rich at the expense of unpleasant casino boss Terry Benedict (Andy Garcia), smooth criminal Danny Ocean (George Clooney) and his trusty gang are at it again, jetting off to Amsterdam, Rome and Paris to pull off three separate, near-unbelievable heists. As you might expect, complications arise at an alarming rate. Benedict knows who they are and wants his money back. A government agent (Catherine Zeta-Jones) and fling from Rusty's (Brad Pitt) past is also on their tail. And then there's the Night Fox (Vincent Cassell), a French master criminal who fancies himself, rather than Danny, as the greatest crook in the universe. That's an awful lot of activity for a single movie, but Soderbergh keeps everything running smoothly, with no end of help from additional cast members Julia Roberts, Matt Damon, Bernie Mac, Don Cheadle, Carl Reiner, Elliot Gould, Robbie Coltrane, Eddie Izzard and, as themselves, Topher Grace and Bruce Willis. Now that's what we call star power.

"I wasn't thinking in terms of making another Ocean's film until we went to Rome to promote Ocean's Eleven and I fell in love with the city," explains Soderbergh, who has now directed Clooney, Roberts and Cheadle in four movies. "I began thinking about what the story and structure might be, and the idea of setting it in Europe began to take hold." "It's a hell of a lot more fun to film in Rome, Paris, Lake Como and Monte Carlo than sitting on a soundstage in Hollywood," adds Weintraub. "You can build sets, but you're not going to build Rome's Pantheon or canals like they have in Amsterdam. It's these wonderful and beautiful locations that give the film a different flavor."

Apparently it was the differences, rather than the similarities, that drew Soderbergh to the project. "Unlike the first film, where you're having fun watching them be successful and get a lot of things right," he explains, "I thought it would be more fun if Twelve was the movie in which everything goes wrong from the get-go." According to Clooney, who also served as the film's executive producer, a dangerous life of crime remains far preferable to a pampered life of luxury. "Even though everyone in the crew is trying to lead a somewhat legitimate life," he explains, "truth is, the characters are happiest when they're planning and pulling off a heist. They need that adrenaline rush and it's something they've missed during the past three years."

"I think the character stuff in Ocean's Twelve is even more interesting than in the first film," insists Soderbergh, "because the cast knew their characters so well and were able to push them even further. Part of the fun of this film is seeing what each of the characters have done with their money. It's also fun watching them find out who busted them with Benedict, and figuring what to do about it."

With a dozen major stars to cater to, any one of which could carry a movie all on their own, it was essential that egos be left at the door. "We had to make sure that we had a screenplay that worked without catering to particular actors," says Clooney. "Fortunately the great thing about our cast is that there are no egos about who has better or more lines. And that's one thing that Steven has always talked about, the fantastic generosity of spirit this ensemble cast has. No one ever tries to take over the scene."

"It's hard to fake the kind of ease and camaraderie that these characters have with each other," notes Soderbergh, "and the good news is, this cast doesn't have to fake it." "Whenever anyone asks me about working with this cast," elaborates Carl Reiner, "I simply say they're otters. When the camera isn't rolling, they're either singing, dancing, sparring or reminiscing. They have so much fun it's almost sickening."

Good news is the cast were just as taken with their director as they were with one another. "Steven is a complete original," marvels Matt Damon. "His work ethic is unlike any I've ever seen." "For Steven," adds Clooney, "every day is shooting and editing and working and figuring things out." "Steven really is an extraordinary director, writer, director of photography and editor," contributes Weintraub, "which means when he arrives on the set in the morning, he doesn't need long discussions with five different people. He just comes in and gets the work done. He is totally focused, totally prepared and not afraid to try something new. Every day he surprises me." Julia Roberts, who won an Oscar for playing the title role in Soderbergh's Erin Brockovich, has the final word. "Steven is very precise and good at keeping things moving, keeping everyone excited, and he makes you want to achieve your goals with him watching. Part of his efficiency comes from people being happy to serve the work. We're all on the team together."

Clearly it's team work that makes this movie what it is: seeing the characters doing their bit to separate various fools from their money, and enjoying the spectacle of Clooney, Pitt, Damon, Roberts, Jones and the rest evidently having the time of their lives. Be part of the fun and add Ocean's Twelve to your list.

Click here to visit the Official Oceans Twelve Site.

(C) 2005 Warner Bros. Entertainment Inc. All rights reserved.

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