Benedict: Good character, bad 'antagonist'?

I didn't really consider him an antagonist either. On the dvd special features George Clooney is quoted as saying "he's the bad guy." It then cuts to Garcia who says "that's in the eye of the beholder." Imo Ocean robbed Benedict because he has Tess and Ocean doesn't. It's as simple as that. Ocean is a petty thief with a jealous streak. At the beginning of the movie when he's sitting in front of the parole board he tells them he committed his previous crimes because his wife left him.

Utah! Get me two.

That's what I like about this movie. It's a heist movie that's actually about a straight up, unapologetic heist.

It's amazing how many heist movies can't bring themselves to do that. They make the focus of the story "the nice thief versus the bad thief" (like the Italian Job remake and a bunch of others), or they make the mark someone who's not just evil but an outright criminal (like the mob boss in The Sting), or it turns out that the "thief" protagonist was actually a government man working for a good cause (Cary Grant in Charade, Robert DeNiro in Ronin), or they play it straight but then give you a little "crime doesn't pay" wink at the end (the original Italian Job which lets them win but, it's at least heavily implied, they lose the gold in the end).

... this one actually played it straight. They still gave you good guys and bad guys, but they didn't surgarcoat the fact that yes, the protagonists are professional thieves, and no, the mark isn't a gangster or a terrorist or another thief, just obscenely rich, but a legitimate businessman. There's something refreshing about that, even if I did enjoy most of those other movies too.


That man is playing Galaga! Thought we wouldn't notice. But we did.

As someone has already mentioned he not only goes after you, but everyone you know.

Second point that I don't think anyone has mentioned is when he talks to Rusty over the phone he asks them to "run and hide". He doesn't want the cops to find them and would be very disappointed if they did because he wants to capture them himself and probably torture them in whatever sadistic way he can think of to exact his vengeance.
Clearly he is very aggravated and distraught at this point and it may have been empty threats, but seeing the power that he welds and from what he did to Danny I think it's safe to say he really meant it. This was the only part of the movie where he seemed a bit more sinister as we are left to imagine what he would actually do if he captured a fugitive who stole 160million from him. Being fugitives I wouldn't expect anyone to really miss them so he could hold them indefinitely and probably kill them. Who knows what he had in mind.

However, I felt Benedict was generally as ruthless as he needed to be as a casino owner apart from the above points. The guy obviously works hard for what he's got and he didn't really antagonise the theft apart from innocently going out with Tess.


Well what are the use of my brains if I'm tied up with a dumb cluck like you?

Not only that, he's so damn DISHY; if the Julia Roberts character had any sense she'd stay with the rich, gorgeous Spaniard who set her up with her own little art gallery to run ("I like what you like." he tells her). OTOH, since I personally loathe Julia Roberts - and the camera doesn't flatter her in this film (less Botox in the lips, dear!) - she can run off with the thief and leave Andy to some other smart lady.

Benedict = bad actor.

Go Big Red