Here’s the quickfire video review:
For fans of the remake ‘original’ Ocean’s Trilogy, ‘Ocean’s 8’ comes through exactly like the younger sibling looking up at their big brother with reverence, eagerly anticipating when they’re old enough to do exactly what they do.
I’m just going to put it out there: that the heist film, will fall short of your expectations – if for no other reason than the fact that we’re primed to wait for the main franchise men to come in at any time, as a plot twist of awesome proportions.
Sandra Bullock, Cate Blanchett, Helena Bonham-Carter, Rihanna, Awkwafina, Mindy Kaling, and Sarah Paulson make up the Ocean’s 8 team.
Danny may have had his all-male team, but there’s merit to an all-female squad: Debbie Ocean rejects a ‘him’ to the squad during the team recruitment phase, because (to paraphrase) “we don’t want a him…Woman are always overlooked. Men draw attention. For once, we want to go unnoticed.”
I enjoyed the film, and the nearly cringe-worthy way they tried to show how ‘with it’ this film is.
Tinder, guys? Really?!
Ocean’s 8 has got everything and a chicken wing that I would want from a light New York film. It will make everyone above the age of 16 giggle atleast once, gasp at the nod-worthy 2nd and 3rd plot twist, ogle the fashion, beauty, skill & tech every woman in the cast wields, and sit back smugly when you see the man who always fucks things up, get his comeuppance. Damn if that last one isn’t an annoying trope by now though! I wish Debbie was just motivated by something as simple as a love of theft alone, instead of being EXACTLY like brother Danny in Ocean’s 11.
Ocean’s 8 figured out all the ingredients that made Ocean’s 11, 12 and Ocean’s 13 great…but the cook started throwing ingredients in too quickly, and the resulting dish just doesn’t come together the way it would have, had they bided their time with each reveal. The attachment to the remake ‘original’ franchise, also leaves anyone viewing this film, feeling like they just had a meal missing ‘that’ thing.
The screenwriter and scriptwriters gave comradery, family, and plot…but no substance. So many beautiful spaces were used for filming, but didn’t actually allow us in to explore them when plans were being made and enacted. All efforts were poured towards the mise-en-scene of The Met, which somehow resulted in a slapdash series of wispy lines approved, and actors delivering them as if doing a table read. They didn’t connect; and that left audiences viewing the screen and seeing an actor playing a part, and not a ‘somebody living that stunning, dramatic life experience; and the audience as actual voyeurs’.
Hathaway was the only one who threw caution to the wind with the most dramatic, parody of Hollywood starlets in their prime…this portrayal strutting towards being the best performance of the film, until you remember Tim Burton’s favored actress stealing scenes here, without even having to say much. Gosh! I love her so.
We got the vague establishment of a backstory for each character, but their quirks were quickly rolled out, with a rush to the heists action moments. Nothing stuck long enough to endear itself to the audience. We laughed, cringed and quickly moved on, but for the life of me, I wouldn’t consider adding this one to the DVD set I have at home. I could watch it again, but it wouldn’t be for the merit of the movie I think…mayhaps for the love of career actors(Sandra Bullock) who’ve built a rapport with us, so their names are synonymous with nostalgic good vibes.
The pigeonholing of a singular, chill black woman in a sea of reasonably refined -looking white woman, is dated. Rihanna’s character could have stood on her own merit as an incredible blackhat into smoking that green, without dreads and the unflattering garb. Whoever rolled that ridiculous blunt for her character, needs notes BTW!
Mindy is the single Indian woman pressured by family to marry, and holds down a ‘safe’ skilled labor job. I mean c’mon.
Helena Boham-Carter‘s brand of acting and Vivienne Westwood-like eccentricity, teamed with Awkwafina‘s cool-as-hell-but-awkward-turtle vibes, are the next best things about the film besides the food and the fashion. Awkwafina is way too much of a hilarious Asian sasspants, not to have gotten more screen time and the opportunity to actually give her character range beyond having quick hands and holding trays.
The most intriguing thing once the film had concluded, was what the fuck the backstory of Cate Blanchett‘s character, is. Please make like Rusty in Ocean’s 12, and have her past influence the next film that much.
I liked The Met business – having been there and loving the history within it -and feel they could actually have cut the first 20 minutes of the movie and moved straight into the museum heist – audiences wouldn’t even have been lost. That first 20 minutes truly makes for terrible storytelling, despite seeing a muted down Reuben resolving the question mark that is the all-male Ocean’s storyline.
It’s actually really interesting how – with me – the fashion would have been secondary to great storytelling, within my voyeurism of this franchise.
Anyway, I cant say more without ruining the whole damn thing.
Watch it because:
Sandra Bullock
Couture fashion
A certain bob and big glasses fashion authority shows up
Hot man Richard Armitage (‘The Hobbit’ Trilogy)
All of the aspirational profit movie thievery
aaaaaand ...New York!
You’re shit out of luck if you’re expecting anything else...like really good acting.
*Revisions may be made in the morning, when I’ve had a good nights sleep.
