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[GenrXr]

Oceans 13 is not a Romantic Movie

In Phillip Kaufman’s movie ‘The Right Stuff’ one of the most memorable scenes shows Gordon “Hot Dog” Cooper being asked by a reporter who the greatest pilot is, while a naked woman gracefully dances under the cover of a feather. The scene is contrasted with Chuck Yeager trying to break the Russian rocket plane altitude record with the X-15. Both scenes have Claude De Bussy’s Claire De Lune playing in the background. It is implied Cooper is about to say “Yeager”, yet jovially replies “but of course I am”, at which the scene cuts to Yeager losing control of the rocket plane and crashing to the ground, as the smoke clears, a burnt and beat Yeager walks out of the debris laden crash site.

The song ends.

About halfway through Oceans 13, Claire de lune starts playing as we are shown Clooney and Pitt walking along the strip reminiscing of the old Vegas. They come to a concrete railing and stare at the old Dunes spot, with the new hotel in its place. They discuss Frank Sinatra and the old hotel.

A boring, lazily crafted movie with unexceptional actors portraying anything in romantic terms is getting old. Everything about the Right Stuff was about American exceptionalism and sacrifice, whereas Oceans 13 is about stealing from others and the “get yours” attitude.

In the Right Stuff you have a great writer in Tom Wolfe, the great director Phillip Kauffman and the great American story of the Mercury astronaut program. All three coalesce into this terrific movie with the last of the great composers, De Bussy and his masterpiece, “Claire De Lune” played during the high point of the movie.

Debussy said of Wagner, “His music was a wonderful sunset people have mistaken for a dawn.” It was in fact Debussy who was the sunset in terms of great composers and one has to wonder if we have not already passed the sunset into darkness while watching the poorly crafted and acted Oceans 13.
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"All that is necessary for evil to triumph is for good men to stand by and do nothing." Edmund Burke (1729-1797), Founder of Conservative Philosophy