Question
I'm a little lost on what happened in this scene in Ocean's Twelve (2004), other than Rusty and Danny were pranking Linus (Matt Damon) with the help of Matsui.
I'm thinking it's a prank because later in this movie (or maybe it was Ocean's Thirteen (2007), I don't remember), I seem to remember another scene/cut scene where it appears Linus realized they pranked him on another occasion.
Dialogue from IMDb:
Matsui: When I was four years old, I watched my mother kill a spider... with a teacosy. Years later, I realised it was not a spider - it was my Uncle Harold.
Linus Caldwell: [All eyes turn to him, expectantly] Oh, let the sun beat down upon my face, stars fill my dreams.
[Ryan claps hand across eyes]
Linus Caldwell: I am a traveler in both time and space, to be where I have been.
[Blank, yet stern, looks from everyone]
Linus Caldwell: [Outside, Ryan and Ocean join Caldwell in the street] Is he alright? Are we alright?
Rusty Ryan: Kashmir?
Danny Ocean: Is that your idea of making a contribution?
Rusty Ryan: We hadn't even started. We ain't even got to the terms yet.
Danny Ocean: We came this close to losing that.
Linus Caldwell: Hey, I don't even understand what happened in there. What did I say?
Danny Ocean: You called his niece a whore.
Rusty Ryan: A very cheap one.
Answer
This was definitely a prank. Danny and Rusty didn't want Linus in on every meeting, but Linus insisted he be involved. So they pre-arranged with Matsui to start a Zen-type discussion about, basically, nothing. At the end, they were to make it look as if Linus' ramblings almost cost them a job, in the hopes that Linus would back away from his desire to be involved with these types of meetings.
You may recall at the end of the movie, Linus discusses this meeting with his mom, who refers to it as the "Lost In Translation" gag.
Answered By - Johnny Bones
