It is a good ensemble comedy, but a film which features ace actresses into a glamorous heist, Ocean’s 8 could have been better.
Let’s put it straight: Ocean’s 8 is fun.
A sequel to the three previous Ocean’s films, it features ace actresses in the roles of smooth criminals. Criminals who do the deed not only for money but also for fun. Criminals who wear a lot of great clothes and deliver some punchy lines along the way.
So, in case you were wondering, ‘’Ocean’s 8’’ is no disaster, as it is worthy of being the newest member of the hollowed Ocean’s brand.
That said, I hope that ‘’Ocean’s 8’’ could have involved a lot more fun. Coming from the direction of Gary Ross, it takes some steps towards the snappy visual and narrative style of Soderbergh, but these gestures seem, at best, half-hearted.
The fact that it has a lower budget than ‘’Ocean’s Eleven’’ – which was released 17 years ago – is also visible. Gone are the luxurious finishings which Clooney and the boys were provided back then. However, while the set isn’t great, the clothes are brilliant.
Turning our attention to its plot, and it seems as if Ross and Olivia Mulch, the writers of ‘’Ocean’s 8’’, didn’t trust the viewers to understand something intricate.
For, had it not been the case, the movie wouldn’t have lacked the subtle and intricate heists of its predecessors. Gone are the nerve tingling, spine jingling, and mind-busting thefts. Available is a simple route, with problems and heists which the actresses find too easy to overcome.
However, while the film isn’t without its faults, the performances of its starry cast have done well to cover them up.
Sandra Bullock, who plays Debbie Ocean, is shown assembling a team of thieves to steal a diamond necklace from the film’s version of real-life Met Gala.
Throughout her journey, Bullock is portrayed as a scheming lady with restrained humor who never shows the same smugness which was on offer by the leading actors in the earlier Ocean’s movies.
Joining Bullock is Cate Blanchett as Lou, who is also the more pragmatic of the two. She doubts Bullock’s plan right from the start but sticks to her nonetheless. We’re also given a glimpse of a sense of attraction between them, though the film doesn’t go too deep to explore that dynamic.
Still, what we got was a lot of Blanchett, as she wears crispy tailored suits and peppers Bullock with her pragmatic advice. We hope that if there’s ever an Ocean 9, it should explore the role of Lou more deeply.
The rest of the band comes together nicely: Rihanna as a computer-hacker who smokes weed, Mindy Kaling as a jeweler who is compromised, Sarah Paulson as a merchandise hoarder, Awkwfina as a pickpocket, and a Helena Bonham Carter who needs a quick payday after being disgraced in her earlier life as a fashion designer.
Away from the gang, Anne Hathway holds all the cards in the movie. She plays the role of Daphne Kluger, the star who is wearing the necklace which the gang is scheming to steal. She plays her role marvelously, and there is that one scene (NO SPOILERS), where Hathaway takes the movie to a whole new level with shifts in her breath and bearing.
Concluding my review, ‘’Ocean 8’’ is a pretty good movie with an above-average cast and a below-average plot line. Still, it would amuse the cinemagoers.
