Movies M - Z

Clooney and Pitt here take up exactly where they left off with their trademark chemistry which pulls the movie along. Pacino as Willie Bank doesn’t try to create a menacing gangster ala Garcia’s Terry Benedict, instead here portraying a cold cheating businessman. This lends itself well to the plot, for a scenery chewing grand performance would have turned the whole movie askew. Ellen Barkin - as previously with Julia Roberts - is merely at service to the plot. In this she is stellar but there’s no mistake Ocean’s is a boys club. Eddie Izzard returns from his cameo in the last movie as the remarkably witty, Roman Nagel and Gould is particularly affecting as the old schooler whose era of honour is sharply coming to an end.

Soderberg as ever is a master of the camera. Whip-pans, crane shots, all achingly cool. This is not to say he’s not capable of something more subtle but he knows the Ocean’s franchise is an exercise in style over substance. The inevitable twists in the end are pulled of with aplomb (if one a repetition from the previous movie). Unfortunately the movie does lack the sense of danger and originality of Ocean’s 11.

In this third outing, everyone has a clearer definition of their character. So much that you thoroughly enjoy the first Jack-less 20 minutes, especially with Geoffrey Rush’s Barbossa at the helm. Even when Sparrow and The Black Pearl make their heroes return some of the best bits involve Rush and Depp as a double act. Depp’s Sparrow is as charismatic, wacky and enjoyable as ever here. Knightley clearly enjoys her role in the action and Chow Yun Fat is a welcome addition to the cast as ruthless Chinese Pirate Lord, Sao Feng. Very enjoyable also was Tom Hollander who delivered in the cold, conniving, murderous Lord Cutler Beckett, a villain who you can thoroughly rejoice in seeing get his comeuppance.

Verbinski once again shows us his flair showing action, particularly here with the final showdown between Sparrow and Davy Jones (in battle that outdoes the 3 way duel of the 2nd movie) as The Pearl battles The Flying Dutchman. The 2nd act does run a little too long as all the main characters have their story thread to tie up before the big finale. A cut of around 20 minutes here and there would have made for a better movie. Han Zimmer also has to be commended for a strikingly brilliant score.

Maguire as Peter is as always the heart of the movie, perfectly transitioning from nerdy and put upon to cocky and dark and back again. Franco’s Harry Osborn is near perfect and incredibly enjoyable in his villainous moments. Church brings a sense of tragedy to his Sandman which could have been lost with a lesser actor. That 70’s Topher Grace is gift wrapped as a dead-on counterpoint to Maguire and clearly relishes his villainous turn in the movies third act. Dunst again does her job admirably but is again used as ‘Mary Jane, The Girl Hostage’.

Due to the abundance of storylines and new characters to deal with the open 20 minutes seems a little slow. This may have derailed a movie helmed by a lesser writer / director but Raimi (along with his brother and writing partner, Ivan Raimi) imbues the proceedings with great characterisations, neat pacing, imaginative visuals and some the best action sequences I’ve seen committed to film. So much so after this shaky start you should completely lose track of the time passing.

Jake Gyllenhaal (as cartoonist, Robert Graysmith, whose book on the real life events this movie is based around) plays with the usual wide-eyed defiance seen in many of other roles but I can’t say it dosen’t work here. Downey is brilliant for Avery, the boozing crime reporter who becomes targeted by the killer. Ruffalo is solid as (seemingly Animal Crackers addicted) Detective David Toschi who becomes more and more frustrated and disillusioned as the case goes on. Actors with smaller roles such as the superb Alan Cox, Donal Logue and John Carroll Lynch all shine.

Fincher gives us his usual crafted performance, here subdued for a different type of story than Panic Room or Fight Club. Fancy effect shots are only used in during montages and some of the murder scenes, still entwined within the plot as to not be jarring. The problem with the movie is that it runs a bit too long and drags in the middle. This is to show that the protagonists frustration as the case slips away from them but will the saving grace of the last 40 minutes (when Graysmith starts actively investigating) come to late for some of the audience.