MovieChat Forums > Ocean's Eleven (2001) Discussion > Benedict: Good character, bad 'antagonis...

Benedict: Good character, bad 'antagonist'?

posted 14 years ago by galapagos66
27 replies | jump to latest

I rooted for Danny and crew like I was supposed to, but in the end, I ended up wondering, "Now why do I dislike Benedict again?" I don't feel like this movie gave me enough reasons to truly hate him. His character is smart and calculating. He is very good at his job. The reason why Ruben dislikes him seems to be that Benedict is simply a great businessman. The reason why Danny dislikes him is over a woman, which you have to admit, Danny and Tess both equally share in the blame there. Sure, Benedict may be arrogant, but what do you expect from a very successful casino owner? As for Benedict being "ruthless," well, it seems that it was a reaction from people stealing from him. As the elevator doors shut on him in his closing shot, I almost felt bad for him. He didn't REALLY do anything wrong. Did he really deserve to be humiliated, lose all that money, AND have his woman walk away?

[–] romulo13 14 years ago

I wrote the exact same thing back in February, but no one responded to the post. I guess this movie is about cheering for the bad guys. Here is my post:

http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0240772/board/thread/178410123

[–] Tales-from-the-Goondocks 11 years ago

Well, in a heist movie one has to accept that he's rooting for the thieves :P right?

[–] The_Devil_Himself 14 years ago

from what both Rueben and Matt Damon say about Benedict not only going after you but after your family as well seems pretty ruthless to me. but you're right, they didn't really give you much reason to dislike Benedict or maybe that was the point? although i didn't feel bad for him at the end.

Brandon
Holes? Or opportunity caves?

[–] filmfan-54 14 years ago

Just re-re-re-watched this great movie yesterday.

Besides from Benedict being ruthless and even going after family of people who stood in his way, there is indeed no real good reason to hate him.

I think the reason everybody is cheering for the bad guys is because they perform an intelligent heist, no bloodshed, no one physically hurt. And all the guys are really likeable, being hansome, funny, witty etc. Andy Garcia makes a great performance as an arrogant casino owner. I disliked him the moment I saw him.

It is just a matter of psychology. At one hand we look up to people who are succesfull, on the other we like them to fall down, and fall down hard, because we are jealous because we didn't get to be so succesfull.
Ocean's 11 are the underdogs. Being in prison, doing petty theft et cetera (apart from Ruben who was succesfull with his nice house etc). And I am almost always supporting the underdog :)

[–] sergio_lv13 13 years ago

How about how awful he always was to Tess? Not willing to show affection in public, dismissing her, objectifying her? That was pretty douche-bah behavior right there. Plus he torned down Reuben's casinos did he not? Something like that was mentioned by him.

[–] 13 years ago

[deleted]

[–] Errington_92 13 years ago

I don't feel like this movie gave me enough reasons to truly hate him.

Thinking about it, you make a good point. Even though the audience is made aware of Benedict's ruthlessness, besides from arranging for Danny to be beaten up towards the end Benedict does not commit actions expected of an antagonist. My view of "Ocean's Eleven" has no ordinary protagonist/antagonist, all the characters are flawed yet it is up to us to choose a side. In this case the OP was on the side of Benedict.

"I'd rather be hated for who I am, than loved for who I am not".

[–] mpoconnor7 13 years ago

It would have worked better if in the scene when Benedict first took Clooney to the room where he had him "locked up and beaten" during the boxing match, if, with his guards there, that he wouldn't have pulled out a set of brass knuckles and hit Danny in the chest a couple times. I think a scene like that would have made Benedict truly sinister. It wasn't like Tess left Danny for Benedict; in the movie Benedict didn't specifically do one think indicative of a villain, other than calling the cops on Danny at the end because he had broken his parole, but I think as a Casino owner, he was responsible to do that.

[–] 13 years ago

[deleted]

[–] 13 years ago

[deleted]

[–] Darthnixa 13 years ago

It's "lose", not "loose".

[–] Blackjack254 11 years ago

don't forget that benedict also hauls Danny into a back room to be beaten up even though all he knows at that point is that Danny was his girlfriend's ex-husband.

How you can make the world a better place:
Don't shop at Wal-Mart.

[–] alvaro-jneto 13 years ago

The point didn't even cross my mind when watching the movie, but it is a very good point.

More of an immaterial curiosity than a weighty flaw though.

[–] sparklingdark 13 years ago

Why do we have to have someone to hate though?? I think it was played the way it was because there's really no true villain. Benedict, as a casino owner, is robbing people every minute, and Ocean and crew are robbing him.

[–] Blackjack254 11 years ago

good point. I finally got fed up with casino gambling a few months ago, because they won't even give me any decent playing time.

How you can make the world a better place:
Don't shop at Wal-Mart.

[–] flapper25 13 years ago

I think we're supposed to dislike him because he values money over everything, even his own girlfriend. He said he would give her up to Danny if he got his money back. Also, he seems very arrogant and doesn't have much of a personality. He doesn't once crack a smile in the movie and he lacks empathy for others.

[–] chas437 13 years ago

Yeah, that's about right. He represents the concept of the house always winning, that's he makes a great villain in this movie.

[–] Lucy9596 13 years ago

This and I guess ruthlessness isn't a good thing either.

Actually I didn't hate him but I wanted Danny and the guys to succeed.

It’s just so sad that the variety of the world should be used as a contentious issue.

[–] schoollydee11 13 years ago

Basically, Benedict represents the "establishment" that puts profit over everything else.

But what does the 11 do with all that money to help society? They are no better. But they are no worse. At least Robin Hood gave the money back to the poor.

A casino is profitable because some humans have a false sense of optimism that causes them to risk what they have in order to gain more. Yet you never hear of a casino going bankrupt because people won too much money. So a casino in essence is a legal way to pilfer money thru complex bells and whistles. Sure, no one holds a gun to a casino patron's head but people are gullible. Just look at the rich TV evangelists.

Danny and the others were no different than a casino. They used their own bells and whistles to take the money.

As someone said above, Ocean and Benedict are black and white characters, both with flaws and ruthlessness. They are reflections of each other. It's funny how no one ever wonders if the "pinch" might have disturbed vital life support systems somewhere in Vegas or may have caused injuries in the casino and at the boxing match.

Actually, Danny affected more "innocents" and outsiders than Terry ever had.

[–] raiders_887 12 years ago

I think the reason why I liked the movie so much was because of how much I hated Benedict. Just that snobby rich guy attitude like he's better than everybody. It was good seeing him lose all his money.

[–] TooPrettyInPink 12 years ago

Yeah, I felt kind of bad for him in the end. He's an arrogant and ruthless *beep* yes, but technically he's just a very successful businessman and the rat pack had no right to steal from him. I also thought showing Tess footage of him saying he would give her up in exchange for the money was unfair. The man just lost his business's entire fortune. If I were in that situation, I might be desperate enough to give up my boyfriend, too. (CLearly, he mistreats her in other ways, too, but using that situation in particular to convince her to leave him was a low blow.)

Andy Garcia did a brilliant job, though. He was entirely convincing as the cold, calculating, business-savvy man who has all the power.

[–] manofsteel4455 12 years ago

All these things would've had much more meaning had the two sequels not have been made.

You want to play the game, you'd better know the rules, love.
-Harry Callahan