Category Archives: Vegas

1971 Films, Action, James Bond, Spy, Top 100 Films, Top 250 Films, Vegas

Diamonds Are Forever-1971

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Diamonds Are Forever-1971

Director Guy Hamilton

Starring Sean Connery

Top 250 Films #100

Scott’s Review #328

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Reviewed January 6, 2016

Grade: A

Despite Diamonds Are Forever (1971) being one of the lower-rated James Bond films, this is actually one of my favorite films of all time, and many would disagree with me.

Some say Sean Connery phoned this performance in; others say there was little chemistry between him and Jill St. John, and the sets were tense, leading to a sub-par offering. But I think this is a great film.

I love the Las Vegas locale, the bright lights, flashy costumes, and a ritzy underbelly- and the Vegas car chase is incredible.

A bright, shiny Ford Mustang takes center stage throughout the sequence, and if one looks closely, one will realize that nearly all the cars are Ford- fun fact!

The title song by Shirley Bassey is great, sultry and stylish, only enhanced by the glitzy setting. One immediately imagines the film oozing with diamonds as it does.

The villains are fascinating, and Mr. Wint and Mr. Kidd were the first openly gay Bond villains, which, in 1971, was groundbreaking.

Yes, they are evil and slightly silly, but what a risky, surprising, and blatant scene to see the gentlemen holding hands.

St. John is a sophisticated and intelligent Bond girl, and the action in this film is plenty.

Diamonds Are Forever (1971) contains all the elements for an enjoyable Bond experience.

Oscar Nominations: Best Sound

2024 Films, Drama, Independent, Independent Drama, Vegas

The Last Showgirl-2024

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The Last Showgirl-2024

Director Gia Coppola

Starring Pamela Anderson, Jamie Lee Curtis, Dave Bautista

Scott’s Review #1,459

Reviewed January 12, 2025

Grade: A

The Last Showgirl (2024) is a powerfully acted and beautifully written story about an aging Las Vegas showgirl who struggles to find relevance and retain her identity after her show closes.

Pamela Anderson’s career-highlighting performance leads the film, featuring stellar acting from Jamie Lee Curtis, Dave Bautista, Billie Lourd, and Kiernan Shipka in supporting roles.

The story showcases a disenfranchised and easily dismissed group of Vegas performers like Boogie Nights (1997) did for the adult film industry and The Wrestler (2008) for the professional wrestling community.

Gia Coppola, granddaughter of legendary director Frances Ford Coppola (The Godfather and The Godfather Part II, 1972-1974), has talent in her blood as she creates the proper mood and the setup to showcase outstanding performances and the underbelly of the Vegas glitz and glamor.

Coppola uses handheld cameras and mostly close-up shots, which could distract some but allow for the rawness and blatancy of seeing Anderson, mainly sans makeup.

The film is a poignant story of resilience that anyone troubled by the aging process regarding their career and livelihood can easily relate to.

Pamela Anderson is a revelation as Shelley, a showgirl who must plan for her future when her show abruptly closes after a thirty-year run. She is proud to be in Le Razzle Dazzle, a classic French-style revue at a casino on the Las Vegas Strip, and views the show as glamorous art rather than a nudie show.

Her co-stars in the show include several younger women, including Mary-Anne (Brenda Song) and Jodie (Kiernan Shipka), who view Shelly as a mother figure.

Shelly’s older best friend, Annette (Jamie Lee Curtis), is boozy and has a gambling addiction, yet maintains a close relationship with Shelly. Years ago, she was ousted from the show and now works as a cocktail waitress.

Anderson, for years known as a sexpot, blonde bombshell femme fatale type who dates rockstars and keeps in the headlines, gives a stunning acting performance.

I was floored.

With her baby voice and kindness, the character of Shelly allows Anderson to give a refreshingly raw and dramatic performance. Usually there for everyone else, she faces an uncertain future, leaving her exposed and vulnerable.

A side story involves Shelly’s estranged daughter, Hannah, played by Billie Lourd. Shelly’s attempt to reconnect with her is interesting but not as effective as the loss of her show and her struggle with identity.

Anderson’s best scene occurs at the beginning and end of the film when she is forced to audition for a modern and sexy stage show. Shelly is confident and insecure as she struts around the stage to a 1980s Pat Benatar song, clumsily revealing her time capsule world with her song choice.

Ridiculed and brutally given honest advice by the director, she nonetheless champions herself, boldly describing herself as ‘fifty-seven years old and beautiful.’

One can’t help but see Anderson stripping off her defenses and applying makeup for herself and her character, Shelly.

Curtis gets better and better with age and now accepts supporting roles with grit and mustard rather than genre roles that define her. Annette wears dated blue makeup and a hairstyle she has undoubtedly had since the 1980s but cannot be held back; she is proud of who she is.

Former professional wrestler Bautista is amazing as Eddie, the revue producer.  Having succeeded at wrestling, he has now brilliantly forged into acting with stellar results. He gives a heartwarming performance.

The Last Showgirl (2024) left me mesmerized, teary, and pondering life and the reality of getting older. It does what great films are supposed to do and left me thinking long after the credits rolled.

Thanks to several awards season nominations for Anderson and Curtis, the small film receives proper exposure and word-of-mouth credibility, encouraging many cinema fans to see it.

2004 Films, Action, Comedy, Guy Films, Heist, Vegas

Ocean’s Twelve-2004

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Ocean’s Twelve-2004

Director Steven Soderbergh

Starring George Clooney, Brad Pitt, Matt Damon

Scott’s Review #1,157

Reviewed June 30, 2021

Grade: B-

The casino heist gang is back together again for more action and adventure in a film that was only made because of the success of its predecessor, Ocean’s Eleven (2001).

The uninspiring title of the film, Ocean’s Twelve (2004) is a letdown as compared to the fantastic and enthralling 2001 film.

What felt like a purely original idea, even though it was a remake, now feels like stale bread that was fresh only yesterday.

Thankfully, Steven Soderbergh returns to the fold which adds some style and general good direction.

The story is slow to kick off and provides an implausible and unconventional ending that doesn’t work nearly negating most of the previous activity. There is something a bit irritating about watching a film with the knowledge that it was only made for one reason and the plot seems to be rushed and poorly thought out.

But that’s Hollywood.

Undoubtedly, George Clooney, Brad Pitt, Matt Damon, Julia Roberts, Catherine Zeta-Jones, and other top talent enjoyed the hefty paychecks they received. This is also perturbing as the performances seem ho-hum and inspired by the big bucks being deposited into big bank accounts for services rendered.

The inauthenticity all around is evident in lazy acting and writing.

The foil and mark, Terry Benedict, once again played by Andy Garcia realizes that the gang has robbed him of millions and demands the money back with interest. Unfortunately, much of it has already been spent.

Unable to come up with the cash, the crew must come together to pull off another series of heists, this time in Europe. Presumably, they are not well known there.

Being “forced” to do what the career criminals love to do is far-fetched.

Danny (George Clooney) and the gang hatch a plan to swap a Fabergé Imperial Coronation Egg for a holographic recreation. Linus (Damon) comes up with a second plan involving Danny’s wife, Tess (Julia Roberts), posing as a pregnant Julia Roberts to get close to the Egg and swap it.

They are foiled by Lahiri (Catherine Zeta-Jones) and a coincidentally present Bruce Willis, and the rest of the group are captured.

While it’s slightly clever having Bruce Willis and Julia Roberts appear as themselves especially when Julia Roberts plays another character in the film, it doesn’t work as well as it sounds on paper.

The story is way too convoluted and Ocean’s Twelve quickly turns into the sort of film you tune out of enjoying the non-story points more than the written word. In this case, that’s not a positive aspect.

The film’s successes, mainly the returning A-list cast, are also negative. While it’s fun to reconnect with familiar characters like Danny Ocean, Rusty (Pitt), and Linus, we know the characters too well and they become caricatures. Meaning, they behave exactly as one would expect them to.

Still, it is admittedly juicy and exciting to witness so many A-listers on one big screen especially when there is trickery, scheming, and just a hint of romance to be had.

I’ll also partake in just about any film that goes on location to Paris, Rome, Monte Carlo, and Amsterdam. It’s an orgy of European history and goodness adding cultural trimmings to a sub-par storyline.

Particularly inviting are the villa scenes in luscious Lake Como.

Ocean’s Twelve (2004) will please only those who are obsessed enough with the franchise to enjoy what is a retread of the 2001 film set in various parts of Europe instead of Las Vegas.

It isn’t nearly enough for me as most cleverness and bright and crisp writing are gone.

2001 Films, Action, Comedy, Guy Films, Heist, Vegas

Ocean’s Eleven-2001

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Ocean’s Eleven-2001

Director Steven Soderbergh

Starring George Clooney

Scott’s Review #1,105

Reviewed January 28, 2021

Grade: A-

Steven Soderbergh was awarded the Best Director Academy Award for his exceptional direction in Traffic (2000), one of my all-time favorite films.

He follows up that gem with a slick, commercial film that is stylish and looks cool.

It’s fast-paced, with quick editing, and is set in the dangerously appealing world of casinos, as a group of sophisticated thieves attempts to steal $160 million from a casino owner with whom they have a vendetta.

I expected a film of this type to be generic and by-the-numbers, but instead it’s unpredictable and unexpected.

Ocean’s Eleven (2001) is the first (and best) installment of the popular Ocean’s franchise and a remake of the 1960 Rat Pack film of the same name.

George Clooney was in his film prime and led the pack of A-list stars like Brad Pitt, Julia Roberts, and Matt Damon in a packed and brimming two-hour entertainment fest.

A nice touch is inviting two stars from the original, Henry Silva and Angie Dickinson, to appear as themselves.

Clooney leads the charge and embraces his status as a leading man with charm, polish, and style. He plays a handsome Danny Ocean, a man with a plan.

Less than one day into his parole from a New Jersey penitentiary, the thief is already traveling to California to plot his next move with his partner in crime, Rusty (Brad Pitt).

It’s tinged with revenge.

They abide by three rules: Don’t hurt anybody, don’t steal from anyone who doesn’t deserve it, and play the game like you’ve got nothing to lose.

Danny orchestrates his charges to pull off the most sophisticated, elaborate casino heist in history. And it will take place in glitzy Las Vegas on the night of a boxing match.

Providing the rules makes me think fondly of a similar proclamation in David Fincher’s 1999 film Fight Club, where Danny and the gang immediately feel sympathetic to me.

After all, they don’t intend to hurt anyone, and the money stolen will be from folks who are dastardly and might even deserve to be penniless.

Didn’t Jigsaw from the Saw films only kill those who harmed other people? Suddenly, their motives are clear and justified, making them the good guys.

As a bonus, the “victim” of the heist is the unlikable Terry Benedict (Andy Garcia), who owns three casinos and is worth billions.

Making the bad guys the heroes and Benedict the bad guy is clever and situates the players properly, so the audience knows who to root for.

As if the film doesn’t have enough treats, some drama is thrown in. Danny’s ex-wife, Tess (Julia Roberts), is Benedict’s girlfriend. Is she loyal to Danny or Benedict, or might she be playing both sides?

Loyalties are tested and questioned, and the intricate bank heist sequence is titillating and an edge-of-your-seat thrill ride.

The Las Vegas backdrop, with the casino’s bright lights, bells, and other elements, cements Ocean’s Eleven as one of the best in its genre.

It’s also tough not to root for Clooney, Pitt, and Damon in or out of character.

Ted Griffin writes the screenplay and adds some nice characters, more than one-note bank robbers or thieves.

Along with Soderbergh’s direction, which adds the nice atmospheric trimmings like the razzle-dazzle casino scenes, they make a great pair.

I love how Danny and Rusty recruit a team with specialized skills like mechanics, pickpockets, and an electronics and surveillance specialist. There’s even an acrobat!

This seems like an ode to the 1960s television series Mission: Impossible, as the team is carefully selected for their skills.

A highly entertaining popcorn film just perfect for a summer night, Ocean’s Eleven (2001) is sure to satisfy. The intention is to sit back and enjoy what is offered, and all the elements come together perfectly.

The culminating main event boxing match and subsequent twist catapult the film from pure entertainment to something more nuanced and exciting.

The film was a success at the box office and with critics, leading to two Soderbergh-directed sequels and a spin-off with an all-female lead cast, released in 2018.