The point of this blog was to discuss all things cinematic, and when it was created I had originally imagined we, the fruity soap panel, sitting around in a lovely, dramatically (yet warmly) lit drawing room, drinking Martinelli's, eating truffles (chocolate ones, not wrinkly mushrooms dug up by pigs) and dissecting the most recent cinematic offerings with scathing wit, humor, and insight.Instead, I'm sitting in front of my desk surrounded by DMV documents that I still haven't worked up enough motivation to actually fill out and turn in, and sopping wet from my trek home in a rainstorm following my ex-roommate's culinary graduation. The graduation was worth it, the rain wasn't. No Martinelli's, no truffles, but I did just finish consuming (with alarming rapidity) a large bowl of Double Chocolate Cookie Crisp cereal, purchased on discontinued discount, so I'm ready to go.
With permission from all members of the blog who have seen the movie, I submit my entry on this past weekend's blockbuster sequel, Ocean's 13. I purposely went in without having read any reviews so as not to bias whatever my own opinion of the movie may be. I found it to be very similar in style to Ocean's 11, (is it Ocean's 11 or Ocean's Eleven? Ocean's 13 or Ocean's Thirteen?) which I absolutely adored. You as movie goers can decide whether or not that's a good thing, depending on whether you liked the first movie. It was slick, it was clean, it was predictably surprising (the one line I did love from 12/Twelve was when Linus is busted out of jail and whines "Aw, you told Dad about this? I can't believe it. Now it's always gonna be, hey, remember the time we had to meh meh meh, meh meh meh...")
The one thing I DO take away from this movie is, what exactly IS a Gilroy, and most importantly, how do I get one of these little magic patches of pheremones?!??!??!
I have to say though, the main reason I liked this movie (and the first one) is the seamlessness of the ensemble cast. The point of a movie with twelve (or more) incredibly famous actors is to give each one a unique personality and then flaunt it shamelessly and predictably. You know by now that Brad is going to be eating in every scene, that somehow the Chinese acrobat only speaks Mandarin and everyone understands him (which makes it sort of ridiculous for me, because I'm hearing "I can't do it! The elevators are too fast!" Brad: "You can't do it because the elevators are too fast?" Right. We got that the first time. Well. I got that, anyway...), that the "Mormon" twins ("I think you'd really dig Provo") are going to be stupid and muck things up, yet still somehow get away with it, and most of all, that even though the actual reality of the premise is completely ludicrous, you still find yourself cheering at the end of the day when everything falls into place and they get away with the millions upon millions of dollars.
This is why ensemble movies work. Like glamorized sitcoms, you come to love each individual character (or despise them, depending on how they're written) and you take comfort in the familiarity of their personalities. It doesn't even really matter what they're doing, because you're not watching the movie plot as much as their mostly-meant-to-be-funny-wink-wink interactions. This is why they work, and also why they are so easily bankable. The Italian Job! The Brazilian Job! What's next, the Floridian Job? They don't even need catchy titles. X-Men, X-Men II, X-Men III... I'll be the first to admit I went to see the third, not for plot premise, but for another look at those amazing hair-wings and gnarly knuckles of Wolverine. Who cares what he did with them, as long as he was doing it. Which was good, cause the plot sucked. Every time Enemy of the State is on I have to watch it, simply for the Seth Green/Barry Pepper scenes.
So. Ocean's 13 was fun, I'd recommend it, and now I pose to you: what is your favorite ensemble movie and why? And/or also, which is your favorite ensemble character? I do have to say I adore Ocean's 11 (and by the way, Ocean's 13 had one SWEET soundtrack), but my favorite character of all time is Seth Green. No, he's not a 'character actor'; he blatantly plays the exact same guy in all of his movies. But I LOVE the guy he plays. "I now command YOU to turn left. And you did. You did." "Wow, somebody tell this guy he's suffering from a serious vitamin deficiency here..." He knows what his strengths are and he caters to them. I'd almost date him... if he weren't two inches shorter than me.
Thoughts?
17 comments:
i have to agree with you, asiankeng. ensemble movies are often wonderfully fun. may i submit some other ensemble movies that might get a nod in the discussion? any of christopher guests' flicks? they are fun treats.
i would have to say, though, that i really really enjoy the ocean's trifecta. i even liked 12 (twelve). some might disagree, but it made me laugh. i wasn't necessarily expecting another 11 (eleven), so i wasn't disappointed as most were. i am looking forward to 13 (thirteen) as i have not yet been able to see it.
and, as much as i liked the italian job, i think mr pulsipher might offer that up as the poor man's ocean's 11 (eleven).
Good post, Asian. I, in my own personal opinion, would only amend one statement: "...most of all, ...even though the actual reality of the premise is completely ludicrous, you still find yourself cheering at the end of the day when everything falls into place and they get away with the millions upon millions of dollars." I would say that, in the end, I find myself cheering because the reality of the premise is completely ludicrous. I admire a filmmaker that can engross me in the plot and the capabilities of the characters so much that I find myself buying the whole thing. Of course when you step back and examine the whole thing you realize that this was very much a Hollywood fantasy, but if the filmmaker can make me forget that for 90-120 minutes, then he or she did a pretty fantastic job. That's what I loved about Ocean's Eleven. That's one of the things I didn't particularly like about Ocean's Twelve.
That and the fact that it didn't seem to me that it was made for the audience. Ocean's Twelve was more like a home movie that George Clooney and his buddies could watch together when they're all in the mood to just relax and reminisce. It was like the plot and even the twists were afterthoughts to the premise of the core ensemble just kind of hanging out in front of a camera.
With Thirteen, I'm cautiously optimistic, more so now that I've read Asian Keng's review.
More optimistic, not more cautious.
I'm personally enjoying this post for Cabeza's choice of shortening your screen name from Asian Keng to just plain Asian. As if we need not discern which Asian you are...like you're the only one. Or do you view your last name as the slave name the white suppressor gave you and are happy to be liberated from it?
Or maybe, Cabeza, are you just respecting AK's cyber-nyminity? If so, way to protect her identity online.
As far as ensemble casts go, we must tip our hats to Harry Potter. I don't think the movies will make it if any more cast members die. Stupid Richard Harris...the new guy isn't nearly as cool. Otherwise, each actor captures the book characters perfectly for me.
Although the switching directors thing gives each movie a completely different feel. In ways it's good, but the change from the British lake district to the highlands of Scotland threw me for a loop.
Merely a stylistic choice, Unprofessional--something a little different.
I've never been one to frown on creative license, but racial slurs? come on now... ;)
can harry potter be counted as an ensemble cast?
I just thought I'd interject and say that if anyone has prerogative to be potentially insulted by said creative license, it would be I, and I am not insulted, so call me whatever you want... just not Kim. :)
I think we could technically count Harry Potter as "ensemble" because they are a group of actors that have repeated their roles in several movies counting. But I have to say I lean more towards the casts whose scripts are written more for the interactions than the actual plot. I mean, I guess even the 'buddy buddy' cop movies like Lethal Weapon and Rush Hour could technically fall under the definition of 'ensemble', the way I was defining it... I definitely don't go see Rush Hour to experience the plot and character development.
Good points, all! Some of my favorite ensemble casts are often minor characters in a film, but without them the entire movie would suffer. The best example I can think of for this is "Return To Me". Without the four old guys playing poker together every night and bickering about who was the greatest singer or dancing together to Frank Sinatra...oh the horror of even imagining what that the movie would be without them!
I will agree with the other ensemble casts mentioned...MF: I agree. I think any Christopher Guest movie will, without a doubt, contain the most hilarious and spontaneously funny ensemble one could find...even if the actual story behind it all is totally lame. (I give you "For Your Consideration".)
The Ocean's trifecta is a cohesive and hilarious cast, although I will agree that in 12 (Twelve) they were having far more fun than the audience. I did, however, still enjoy it, in spite of that.
"The Italian Job" is an endearing cast, but I would say it's not nearly as cohesive or fully believable as the Ocean's movies. They aren't as totally comfortable with each other, as if they really had known each other for years, ya know? And "The Brazilian Job"? Are you kidding me? Wow...will sequels never cease? I'm not complaining because I did liked the first one, but it just makes me laugh. Couldn't they at least have found a better title? Sigh.
Asian Kim...I mean Keng. (hee) I agree with your definition of ensemble cast - not so concerned w/ plot as with the way the characters interact, therefore I would also agree w/ your assessment of the HP movies.
I think "Clue" is a great ensemble cast. A hilarious bunch of misfits thrown together? Genius. Also, have you ever watched the Carol Burnett Show? I know that's not a movie, but if there ever was an ensemble cast, it would have to be Ms. Burnett w/ Harvey Korman, Vicky Lawrence and the brilliant Tim Conway.
I have said my piece and now I am done. :)
Christina--
Total and complete agreement on Clue AND Return to Me. Those four old men honestly seemed as though they've known each other for forty years, and the fact that they still could maintain a steady stream of conversation is what smacks of true friendship. "Grandpa?" "Uh, we're not here!" "What is this, a baseball game?" "It's a live recording!!" The accents help too.
Clue: Absolutely. The premise of the entire movie is that there IS no premise! It's based on a BOARD GAME! Board games have no plot!! The fact that they turned a plot-less premise into a 94 minute character-interaction delight is genius. Pure genius.
"I'm the butler. I buttle."
Now we could probably have a whole discussion on the best quotable Clue line...
"Oh! Who cares? That guy doesn't matter! Let him stay locked up for another half and hour. The police will be here by then and there are two dead bodies IN THE STUDY!"
"Fl-flames. On the side of my face. Breathing breathless heaving bre- ... heaving breaths..."
"Well, I've seen it all"
"You have?"
"Yes, there's nothing illegal about any of this!"
"Are you sure?"
I love Clue. Truly a harmonious combination of humor from many different sources.
HP is an ensemble cast both technically and actually. I'm not quite sure what this technically thing is. They're a group. They reprise their roles several times over. They interact on a group dynamic. End. of. story.
Unpro! You didn't finish the quotation (it's one of my favorites as well)!
"Of course! This is America!"
"I see..."
"It's a free country! Don't you know that?"
"I didn't know it was THAT free."
"But it is dark upstairs and I am frightened! Who will go with me?"
"I will"
"I will"
"No thank you"
"For he's a jolly good fellow, that nobody can deny ("can deny"), can deny ("can denyyyy")..."
"He was always a very stupidly optimistic man, I'm sure it came as a great shock to him when he died..."
PS MF, I'd have to agree on your extrapolation of Mr. Pulsipher's opinion of the poor man's Ocean's 11 (Eleven). The Italian Job's wardrobe just can't measure up.
And does anyone else notice the peculiar theme of "hot black man in charge of explosives" theme here...?
"Ta-da da da da da! I AM your singing telegram." *BANG*
"Let us in! Let us in!"
"Let us out! Let us out!"
"...then knocked him over the head with the candle stick and threw him in the toilet"
"Why???"
"To create confusion!"
"It worked."
AHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!
*Slap*
"Well, I had to stop her screaming."
Classic.
Cabeza, I was just setting it up for you. Thanks for the follow-through.
So do you think The Fantastic Four could qualify as a great ensemble cast? Actually, I don't think Ioan needs an ensemble (sigh).
Anyway, back to more sophisticated cinematic comments . . . one of my favorite ensembles is the cast of "Waiting For Guffman." I mean, those people aren't even following a script most of the time! Part of their brilliant "ensembleness" is there ability to deliver lines that literally feed off of each other as they are being filmed.
Corky St. Clair: I'd like you to close your eyes now, and I'd like you to try something, all right? Now what are you thinkin', what are you feeling right now, with your eyes closed
[Blows in Dr. Pearl's ear]
Dr. Allan Pearl: I feel a bree... a... you're blowing in my ear.
Corky St. Clair: Okay, all right, but you see you jumped... to a conclusion!
Dr. Pearl: Oh!
Corky St. Clair: See, what I'm asking for is... your first feeling... was not that I was blowing on you. It was more like... Virgin Isles, or... Bahamanian...
Dr. Pearl: Oh...
Corky St. Clair: Or... Arubian...
Sheer brilliance.
I also agree with Christina and Asian Keng. The old men in "Return to Me" are so believable as old friends. All of their scenes are so ad lib and natural, like they've been hanging out for years, a true sign of a fabulous ensemble.
And going back to the Ocean's trifecta, I would just like to say how supremely cool Brad Pitt and George Clooney are in the film. I like the entire cast as an ensemble, but these two are so effortlessly smooth to the point of being almost iconic. They make you feel like everyone should be watching Oprah and crying because that's what "cool people" do. Seriously!
I don't think Fantastic Four can be qualified as a great anything.
I'm afraid that beyond a beautiful Ioan, I have to agree. The Fantastic Four is really just a fantastic "One" in my book.
And my favorite quote has already been shared, but here are a few others. (fave is Mrs. White confessing to Yvette's murder...LOVE IT!)
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Mrs. White: He was deranged, he was... lunatic. He didn't seem to like me very much. He had threatened to kill me in public.
Miss Scarlet: Why would he want to kill you in public?
Wadsworth: I think she meant he threatened, in public, to kill her.
Miss Scarlet: Oh.
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Miss Scarlet: [Professor Plum and Miss Scarlet approach their destination as lightning splits the sky over Hill House, giving it an ominous cast. The car engine then turns off] Why has the car stopped?
Professor Plum: It's frightened.
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Miss Scarlet: Do you miss him?
Mrs. White: It's a matter of life after death, now that he's dead I have a life.
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Wadsworth: But he was your second husband. Your first husband also disappeared.
Mrs. White: But that was his job. He was an illusionist.
Wadsworth: But he never reappeared.
Mrs. White: He wasn't a very good illusionist.
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