BuzzSugar

Ocean's Thirteen: Analog Heroes In A Digital World

BuzzSugar — Fri, 08 Jun 2007 10:59:21 PDT

At the beginning of Ocean’s Thirteen, security systems expert Roman Nagel (Eddie Izzard) consults Danny (George Clooney) and Rusty (Brad Pitt) on how best to infiltrate the ultra high-tech security system at The Bank, a luxury hotel/casino set to open on the Vegas strip. As Roman tries to explain the system in tech-speak, it’s clear Danny and Rusty are out of their element. “I like you two,” says Roman. “You’ve got style, brio. But you’re analog people in a digital world.”

No matter how high-tech the revenge shenanigans get in Ocean’s Thirteen, it is precisely this “analog” quality - the old-school loyalty, humor, and charm - that keep us rooting for these thieves and cons. Fast-paced and fantastically convoluted, Ocean’s Thirteen (like its two predecessors) is almost all exposition. The journey to the sweet moment of revenge against wicked casino kingpin Willy Bank (Al Pacino), in other words, is the bulk of the film. Their revenge may be high-tech, but their values are old-fashioned. Like Ocean’s 11, in which Danny’s motivation is as much about getting his wife Tess back from Bellagio owner Terry Benedict (Andy Garcia) as it is about robbing Terry’s casino, Ocean’s Thirteen is about men who want to save their stricken friend Reuben, no matter what the cost. Although there's a bit of a lag in the middle, and an unfortunate sexist misuse of Ellen Barkin as Bank's right-hand woman, the fact that they have a fantastic time doing it makes it a joyride for us viewers as well, so

Ocean's Thirteen begins with Rusty hearing the news that Reuben has had a heart attack and is in critical condition after being screwed by Bank. After visiting the unresponsive Reuben, Rusty and Danny begin scheming their revenge. Willy Bank’s hotel/casino, The Bank, is the new crown jewel in his empire of casinos. He and the built-like-a-brick-house Abigail Sponder (Ellen Barkin) run a tight ship and aim to make, well, bank on opening night.

What Bank and Abigail don’t know is that Ocean’s crew is going to treat The Bank like a fun house. In order to bankroll this over-the-top revenge job, they are helped by the unlikeliest of protagonists: Their once arch-enemy Terry Benedict (Andy Garcia). As long as they steal Bank’s diamonds, Terry claims, he’ll pay for everything. So, using their collective wiles, they rig, bribe and digitally maneuver their ways into ruining The Bank's opening night. And how will they get into the insanely impregnable vault where the diamonds are held? Old fashioned seduction: Send in “Lenny Pepperidge” (Matt Damon, with a ridiculous fake nose) to seduce Abigail with some special love potion he puts on his neck.

"There’s a code among people who have shaken Sinatra’s hand," Reuben says in disbelief to Bank when he’s getting screwed. As charming as that “old fashioned” code of loyalty is, part of it seems to include the notion that “broads” are just trouble. As a result, with the exception of Abigail, who is called a "cougar," humiliated and ultimately dispensed with, Ocean’s Thirteen is largely a world without women. In spite of this and the lag in the middle, Ocean’s Thirteen is loads of fun.

Movie Night: Don Cheadle-A-Thon

BuzzSugar — Thu, 22 Mar 2007 16:58:32 PDT

Reign Over Me opens tomorrow starring one of my all-time favorite actors: Don Cheadle. In honor of his newest release, I'm making the theme of this week's Movie Night "movies I like that star Don Cheadle." This is not a comprehensive list of Cheadle accomplishments - please also see Boogie Nights and Traffic - just some of my personal favorites. So watch these movies and go see Reign Over Me this weekend. The Cheadle is worth it.

Hotel Rwanda
I had trouble motivating myself to watch this movie, just because I knew it was going to be so bleak, but I'm so glad I did. Nominated for 3 Academy Awards in 2004, Hotel Rwanda explores the Tutsi-Hutu conflict through the story of one man who decides to house hundreds of refugees in his hotel. Though physically Cheadle looks pretty much like he usually does, the actor nearly disappears into the role with earnestness and grace. Plus, like so many well-made historical dramas, the movie will make you feel smarter for having seen it.

For more great Cheadle cinema,

Ocean's Eleven
This remake of the 1960 film starring Frank Sinatra proves that not all remakes are terrible. In many ways, it's more thrilling to see a casino heist set in the present day when security measures are so much tighter. Slick ex-con Danny Ocean puts together a team of experts to help him swindle three top casinos out of $150 million. If successful, the participants will split the bounty. Cheadle is the saucy British munitions specialist played with such hard commitment you start to wonder if you're supposed to be laughing at him, which only makes it more hilarious.

Crash
There were some conflicting opinions about whether or not Crash should have won the Academy Award for Best Picture in 2006, but I was one of the movie's supporters. Taking place in Los Angeles, the film follows several vastly different people, ultimately examining how connected we all are but how issues such as racism continue to drive us apart - particularly in a post-9/11 society. Don Cheadle plays police detective Graham, whose weariness will squeeze your heart until it pops.

What to TiVo: Saturday

Maggie Pehanick — Fri, 04 May 2012 23:59:00 PDT

8:00 Shark Tank (repeat)
9:00 Hancock

8:00 NCIS: Los Angeles (repeat)
9:00 Person of Interest (repeat)
10:00 48 Hours Mystery (new)

8:00 UFC: Diaz vs. Miller (new)
11:00 The Finder (repeat)

8:00 Escape Routes (new, season finale)
9:00 The Voice (repeat)
11:30 Saturday Night Live (new, with guests Eli Manning and Rihanna)

George Clooney Gets Dirty, Dapper to Reveal His Best Pranks in LA Times Magazine

Molly Goodson — Fri, 03 Feb 2012 05:10:00 PST

George Clooney was happy to try on both goofy and handsome looks for the Oscars issue of the LA Times Magazine with Viola Davis on the cover, which is out on Sunday. The accompanying article is focused on George the prankster and chronicles everything from friends who have been on the receiving end of his famous cons to what he's careful about when choosing his targets. George recently said he's planning a prank on Brad Pitt that may "end his career." George and Brad are up against each other in the best actor category at the Academy Awards, though when it comes to practical jokes Mr. Clooney is in a league of his own. George revealed his best one ever, which involves a cat litter box, and a time when he backed off something he'd been working on for years. Here are highlights:

Clooney on his pranks: "Humor only gets me in trouble when I forget that any joke I make will be heard by a lot of people and can be hurtful to someone if I’m not careful. I’m just screwing around...but you realize as you get home that it’s something that would hurt someone’s feelings, and maybe it’s not needed. You have to consider that a little more."
Jerry Weintraub on one prank from Ocean's Eleven days: "I had a gold silk shirt-a very expensive gold silk shirt-Clooney hated. Once at the Bellagio when we were doing Ocean’s, I was having drinks with the guys, and Clooney sneaked into my closet and stole the shirt. That September, for my birthday, I received a big box wrapped with ribbon-and in it was my gold shirt. On the back, Clooney had drawn a picture in black marker of a giant penis, and he’d had everyone who participated in a charity golf tournament for prostate cancer in Las Vegas sign it, too. There were 30 signatures-Brad Pitt, Matt Damon, Don Cheadle, Wayne Gretzky..."
Julianna Margulies on an ER era prank with an unnamed man: "He asked George, 'Does my pasta smell funny?' and then pushed the plate into his face. Clooney took it all in stride, but he waited until the guy’s last day [on the production] and placed a license plate frame on his car that said, 'Honk if you like p--y.' The guy thought every-one was honking and waving goodbye to him. [George] was the master-and he had the patience of a Buddhist monk. He can create a joke that will take eight years [to pull off]."

See more pictures of George, Viola Davis, Gary Oldman and more at the LA Times Magazine website here.

Tower Heist: A Convoluted Caper

Rose Curiel — Fri, 04 Nov 2011 03:05:00 PDT

What would Robin Hood do if he hit Wall Street? Tower Heist gives us an inkling with Josh Kovacs (Ben Stiller), the general manager of a luxury New York apartment complex. Josh rounds up the building's not-quite-merry employees to rob penthouse resident Arthur Shaw, after discovering the mogul has squandered the staff's savings in a Ponzi scheme. The ragtag group offers plenty of laughs along the way with their criminal inexperience, but their bumbling antics can't cover-up a heist that is too far-fetched to be true.

Part of the reason the humor fails to distract from the improbable caper is due to the fact that it's spread thin among the film's all-star cast, which also includes Eddie Murphy, Matthew Broderick, Tea Leoni, and Casey Affleck. The ensemble is so large that the film is forced to parcel out the humor among too many characters, robbing anyone of the chance to really stand out. Everyone receives an equal share of one-liners, but I felt certain characters could have developed jokes into side-splitting humor had they only received more screen time. To find out why I expected Tower Heist to pull off more than just a heist, just keep reading

Chef Scott Conant: He's Even More Charming in Person

Susannah Chen — Mon, 28 Feb 2011 13:32:34 PST

The 10th annual South Beach Wine & Food Festival wasn't just an opportunity to catch Rachael Ray cooking in person and chow down on exotic ingredients. It was also a great time to get to know our favorite chefs firsthand.

I was floored by restaurateur and Food Network chef Scott Conant. Not only is the Chopped judge and host of 24 Hour Restaurant Battle a wisecracking barrel of laughs, but he's also incredibly humble.

When I declared his polenta to be "the best polenta I've ever had," he quipped, "Then you need to eat out more." At the Scarpetta Miami bar, he made sure we were settled in with mojitos, then joined us for a chat. For the whole conversation, keep reading.

Venus Williams Hates Elbow Planks but Loves Football

FitSugar — Mon, 30 Aug 2010 04:30:30 PDT

Having just turned 30, Venus Williams has been playing tennis professionally for half of her life. She is one busy athlete: gearing up for the US Open, teaching tennis clinics, selling her EleVen designs on Gilt, and promoting her new book Come to Win. Yet when I spoke with Venus recently, she seemed more like her sister's namesake, serene. Easy to laugh while maintaining a thoughtful focus, Venus and I chatted about fitness, fashion, and football.

FitSugar: Describe a typical day of training for you.
Venus Williams: I get up in the morning and I go to the court for about two hours or three hours and then I go to the gym for another two hours or three hours. A lot of time I will stretch and do rehab for an hour. It’s kind of a nine to five thing with a full day of working out. I do anything like ride the bike, the elliptical, swimming, or sprinting things like that. And I do arms, legs, and core.

FS: So what’s your fave core exercise?
VW: (chuckles) I don’t know if I have a favorite core exercise.

FS: Well then is there an exercise you love to hate.
VW: I don’t like prone holds. Do you know what that is . . . it's an elbow plank. I don’t like planks. I don’t like slow and tedious exercise. Ones that you have to do on both sides. Those really get me down.

FS: How do you feel about running?
VW: Running is OK. I like swimming a lot. Swimming is my favorite cardiovascular activity. Lately I have been swimming in the ocean too. The water has been real calm in Florida this Summer and it’s real flat. I call it lake Atlantic . . . get in and go for a swim.

Learn how Venus feels about food when you

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FS: What is your fave recovery meal and/or snack?
VW: I don’t know. I am one of those people that eats to live and not lives to eat. So I don’t know. It is hard to choose. Probably beans and rice and blackened chicken.

FS: Do you ever work out with Serena?
VW: We work out at the same time, but we might be doing something specific to what we need. I might need something different from her. But I might see her doing a nice exercise and I am like "I am going to copy that."

FS: Both Marathoner Kara Goucher and basketball legend Lisa Leslie told me that if they could be an elite athlete in another sport they would choose tennis. If you could be an elite athlete in another sport what would you choose?
VW: Football!
FS: Why?
VW: I don’t know. (laughs) I just love it. You get out there and talk trash. Run hard, you make the play. It just seems awesome!

Stay tuned for more of my conversation with the fourth-ranked tennis star. We talk more about tennis, touch on fashion, and why Venus cleans her tennis togs with Tide plus Febreze Freshness Sport.