So much was going on in the Fall of 2001. Those events don’t need to be summarized here. They are well-etched into the expanding volumes of history.

December brought movie-goers some much needed happiness in the pure joy reboot of the 1960 film Ocean’s Eleven. Ocean’s Eleven is full of sharp moments that have not dulled in two decades. It was two wrongs working to make something right in their own favour. Fans of what would become the Ocean’s Trilogy instantly found themselves rooting for George Clooney and his band of suited misfits to succeed at their tasks. The film’s sharp wit is set within and against the backdrop of Las Vegas Landmark The Bellagio. It heightened my own fascination with Vegas where I would eventually stay a few nights at the Bellagio, walk through it and recognize places within it from the film.

I call this film a “Happy Heist” because it’s a perfect escape and remains so to this day. A cast of brilliant actors who share incredible chemistry even if they share only a few seconds with each other in places. Julia Roberts rules them all with her charm and charisma. The humour in Oceans Eleven and the whole Ocean’s Trilogy lands hard when it does land. There is something rather healing about dialogue that hits with hilarity when the timing is perfect.

Twenty years after its’ release, this reboot is an absolute classic with a loveable endearing quality.

@WriterDann