Here we are, folks. The end of my personal favorite films. Please come back next week when I start telling you all about the movies you need to watch before you die. And now, my Top 11.
11: Ocean’s Trilogy
The first one is probably the best caper film ever. Ocean’s 11 is smart, funny, and never loses the audience’s attention. If it does, you’ll have to rewatch it (which is actually a pleasure, not a chore). Ocean’s 12, while not as good as the first, is more fun. You can tell when you’re watching just how comfortable everyone is with each other, and the chemistry makes this movie the best one of the series (though in terms of quality movie-going, the first is the best). Ocean’s 13, though, is something of a return to form for the franchise. Leaning heavily on its acting and writing, the movie recalls the first film without following the same plot of “thing happens, mark is chosen, something else happens, and here’s how the something else happens.” Instead, we are shown every step of the way how it’s done; only at the end do we see something small and easily guessed revealed. Clooney, Pitt, Damon, and Cheadle are all wonderful in the films. Equally great are Bernie Mac, Elliott Gould, Julia Roberts, Catherine Zeta-Jones, Andy Garcia, and Carl Reiner. It’s just a great 5+ hours. I should know; I’ve watched each at least five times.