Two decades later, Ocean’s Eleven is cemented in as a genre defining film. The star studded cast has everyone’s non-problematic fav, George Clooney. To A.Ron, it’s a near perfect film. To Jim, it’s a great movie, but Julia Roberts is there. If you like memorable one-liners, snappy editing, and wildly entertaining characters, you’ll love this movie and the podcast episode about it.
We took a look at the latest Netflix original, High Flying Bird. Directed by Steven Soderbergh and shot on an iPhone 8, it tells the tale of NBA management squeezing the players for a reduced share of profits during a labor dispute, and one high profile sports agent that is caught in the middle. It works on the level of a heist film; instead of smooth talking con-man Danny Ocean, we have smooth talking agent Ray Burke. Instead of boosting millions off of a ruthless billionaire casino owner, we’re negotiating for millions off ruthless billionaire team owners. But it also works as a commentary on the power dynamics of labor in general, and on a meta level, the film industry itself. It’s a well made, well-acted, gorgeous film, and it’s final act is as thought provoking as it is fun to watch unfold.