Oceanside

I almost ruined it for myself. I began reading the Ocean's Eleven script a while back but stopped midway through it. Why? Not to ruin it, when I finally see the film in December. I hope it will be worth the wait. This project cannot fail, there's too much talent in it. Tomorrow, I will give you my thoughts on Ted Tally's Red Dragon script.

Ocean's Eleven script review

"Hollyfeld, here. One of the most highly anticipated films of 2001 is Steve Soderbergh's Ocean's Eleven, and I have a draft of the script right here. Not the shooting script, mind you, but rather an early draft from Steve Carpenter with revisions by Ted Griffin. Although I enjoy this script immensely and think that it's probably a good indication of the type of film we're going to see this fall, it is clearly NOT the draft that Soderbergh is using - and I for one am actually glad, as I am a huge fan of the idea of this film.

Ocean's Eleven is, for me, a perfect film to be re-made: a well-known classic that, despite its popularity and quality, has undeniably become dated. And the notion of a genuinely all-star cast coming together for the project is one of my dreams come true. This draft seems to clearly indicate the writers' intentions of writing for specific actors, with roles tailor-made for George Clooney, Brad Pitt, Mark Wahlberg (who had to turn the movie down), and Jackie Chan. Which is one of the reasons I remain confident that this draft is a far cry from the actual script being used. The contortionist/martial artist character of Yen is one of the more memorable characters in this script, but seems absent from current cast lists… and since he plays one of the most integral roles in the film's big heist, I can only assume that that part has changed as well.

For those not in the know, Ocean's Eleven is the story of Danny Ocean - an ex-con who gathers a crew of eleven memorable thieves and con men together for one final heist. The target? Las Vegas Casinos. A bunch of them. AT THE SAME TIME. The actual manner in which the heist plays out is kept largely a secret in this draft, with the reader knowing just enough at any given time to think they know when the plan is going bad, only to be proven decidedly wrong a few pages later when it's revealed that everything is working out just fine. Or is it?

But although the impressively conceived theft of casino funds takes up a large part of the script, the more interesting stuff comes at the beginning when Danny Ocean (George Clooney) and Dusty (here called Rusty, to be played by Brad Pitt) play off of each other and the other members of their crew (most of whose characters seem to have made it into the final film, if the cast lists are anything to go by). Regardless of who was primarily responsible for this draft, Carpenter or Griffin, the writers excelled at old-fashioned character interaction and, especially, their introductions. Introducing a character to a film is a task too often simply screwed up by screenwriters today - but here every character is clearly defined a few seconds after entering for the first time. We know exactly who they are right from the beginning, even if they may act differently from time to time.

Ocean's Eleven is a film that will almost entirely rely on its characters and the way they interact and, most importantly, collaborate with one another. With its all-star cast, the film may run the risk of having the actors step on each other's toes, or attempt to steal scenes from one another. Now, from the actors chosen this may not prove to be a problem (Brad Pitt and George Clooney have, for example, proven themselves capable of subtler ensemble work in such films as Snatch and O Brother, Where Art Thou?), and this draft of the script certainly implies that the filmmakers want to aid that process along with the writing. Although Danny Ocean is clearly the team's leader, every character is of equal value to the heist and plot. Also, while we're discussing character development, it behooves me to mention that this script is commendable for making each and every character undeniably "cool" without resorting to unnecessary violence, sex, or even much in the way of bad language. The original stars of Ocean's Eleven, Frank Sinatra, Dean Martin, Peter Lawford, Sammy Davis, Jr. et al were all cool without all the conventions the post-Tarantino era has left us, and if this draft is any indication, movie stars may be once again after the re-make is released.

If this draft of the script has a significant flaw it is in the construction of Tess, Ocean's ex-wife (Julia Roberts), and Benedict, her fiancé (Andy Garcia). Neither character seems particularly strong, perhaps because neither of them are a part of "Ocean's Eleven." Tess serves a rather prototypical "female in a heist movie" role (see Angela Bassett in The Score for an example), although she does get a memorable ending which is worthy of making it into the finished product. And although Garcia's character is clearly meant to the antagonist, he never really comes across as anything more than a self-obsessed businessman. Hardly something to root against…

The heist itself is, as alluded to above, a worthy piece of writing, and plotted out to the minutest details. Tense and entertaining, it would appear from this draft that there will be no skimping when it comes to the pay-off to the extended set-up that has always been Ocean's Eleven. Although, again, my draft seems nowhere near the one they are using, it seems to lay the groundwork for a worthy film to be released this fall. If one of the really early drafts of the script is a great movie in and of itself, there is no reason not to expect something better from the director of Out of Sight and Traffic."

Stay tuned...

That's all folks...

Jean-François Allaire (aka DeadPool)

Questions, comments, praises etc. Email me at deadpool@tnmc.org

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Jean-François Allaire is TNMC's first columnist. At only 24 years old he has become a respected entertainment journalist, with his columns appearing in such major websites as Corona's Coming Attractions and Scr(i)pt magazine. Hailing from Montreal this young writer is determined to dig up all the details on the movies before they hit your local theater. If you're part of a movie production then you really need to be talking to him.