Ocean's 8
Starring: Sandra Bullock, Cate Blanchett, Anne Hathaway, Helena Bonham Carter
Directed by: Gary Ross
Rated: PG-13
Women really can be anything nowadays: superheroes, Ghostbusters, and now the Ocean's crew.
In Ocean's 8, Debbie Ocean, sister of Danny Ocean (George Clooney in the original trilogy), has just been released from prison for art forgery. Does she give up her old ways upon release? Of course not! We wouldn't have a movie if that was the case. She devises a plan with her partner Lou (Cate Blanchett) to break into the Met Gala and steal a necklace worth millions of dollars. Can it be done? Not without help. The two search New York City for a team to take on the heist. Will they pull it off or get caught?
While the previous Ocean's trilogy was directed by Steven Soderbergh, the new take on the story is directed by Gary Ross (The Hunger Games, Seabiscuit.) Ross anchors the story with a dramatic tone, but seems to struggle finding comedic timing and a stylistic flair that the original trilogy is so well known for. This is one of the film's biggest problems. There's just something missing in the first act as Ross takes forever to get the story moving. As he attempts to set up the heist, I wondered how long it could take to actually get there. He eventually finds his footing in the second and third acts with major help from the cast.
Speaking of the cast, it's Oceans 8's biggest strength. There isn’t a weak link here. With 3 Oscar winners, an Emmy winner, and a Grammy winner, that’s no surprise. Sandra Bullock leads the bunch as Debbie Ocean in an ensemble that includes Cate Blanchett, Helena Bonham Carter, Anne Hathaway, Sarah Paulson, Rihanna, Mindy Kaling, and Awkwafina. Each actor brings unique personality traits to their characters. The standouts of the film to me were Anne Hathaway as Daphne, an actress who craves attention, Cate Blanchett as Lou, Debbie's partner-in-crime, and Helena Bonham Carter as Ruth, a has-been fashion designer in need of a career boost.
While the main cast is particularly impressive in terms of women, Ocean's 8 falters when dealing with men. I encourage movies with female leads, but can we have a female led movie with decent male supporting characters? Or at least some male characters who know how to function in society? Every guy in this movie is an idiot. There's a scene in Ocean's 8 involving a man who works in an elite computer security company, yet he clicks the most obvious spam e-mail I've ever seen. How did he get his job?
The most exciting sequence of Ocean's 8 is the heist which takes place at the Met Gala. This section of the film pairs glamor and intrigue. We get to see gorgeous fashion and an exciting plan unfolding. The heist kept me intrigued from start to finish. Not to mention, the film actually takes you inside the Gala (well, a staged version of it) full of ornate decor and celebrity cameos. I don't know about you, but the Met Gala has always interested me, so to see a little of what goes on inside is really fun!
Due to a few pacing issues and directorial problems, Ocean's 8 doesn't quite live up to the original trilogy. However, I can't deny it's an entertaining ride thanks to its impressive cast and memorable Met Gala heist.
My Rating: 7/10