If you're looking for moral complexity, character development, or a surprising, twist-filled story, you've come to the wrong place. But if you're searching for a hugely enjoyable, breezy summer adventure, then do I have the movie for you.
Ocean's 8 is the latest chapter in the Hollywood trend of gender-swapped reboots, though it has been decidedly less controversial than its ghost-bustin' counterpart. The sequel to Steven Soderbergh's acclaimed heist trilogy assembles a group of Tinseltown's most famous actresses for a massive robbery, which has the potential to make each character a whole lot richer. And while it offers few novel developments along the way, Ocean's 8 is something of a blast, a thoroughly diverting and crowd-pleasing bit of splashy fun. It's difficult, maybe even impossible to be all that invested in what's happening on screen, but director Gary Ross pulls off a slick and delectably glossy heist flick, one that's low on depth but high on entertainment value.
After one of her criminal schemes went south, Debbie Ocean (Sandra Bullock), the sister of the late Danny Ocean, has spent the last five years in a penitentiary. As the film begins, Debbie is finally paroled, telling the officer that she just wants a simple life. "Good one," says the officer at the gate, handing Debbie an elaborate dress and fur coat, knowing full well that the former con woman's life will be anything but simple. Once back in the free world, Debbie re-connects with her close confidant Lou (Cate Blanchett) and lets her in on a little secret. While in prison, she didn't just sit there and wait for her time to be up- that would be too easy. Instead, Debbie planned an elaborate and intricate heist of the Met Gala, one of the premiere events in the world. More specifically, the criminal expert laid the groundwork for a plan to steal the Toussaint, a Cartier necklace valued at nearly $150 million dollars. To pull it off, they'll need a crew of 7 women, each with a very particular set of skills.
For the plan to work, they'll need a celebrity to wear the necklace. Debbie and Lou enlist Rose Weil (Helena Bonham Carter), a washed-up designer who still holds some cachet in the eyes of Anna Wintour and other fashion experts, to dress Daphne Kluger (Anne Hathaway), the host of the Met Gala and a celebrity icon. Kluger will wear the Toussaint, and the crew will steal it. From there, Debbie and Lou assemble jewelry expert Amita (Mindy Kaling), pickpocket Constance (Awkwafina), hacker Nine Ball (Rihanna), and master manipulator Tammy (Sarah Paulson) to round out the crew, each with their own very specific purpose within the job. But as the risky and dangerous heist approaches, the crew will learn that Debbie might have a bit more up her sleeve than they realized. As the mastermind tries to pull a job inside a job, the entire operation threatens to fall apart.
Ocean's 8 takes a little time to find its footing, and I don't think it's a radical statement to say that the first half is significantly weaker than the second. Watching Debbie put together this all-star squad is intermittently amusing, but even with the flashy montages and jazzy vibes, it's often unsatisfying. And that's because these characters are almost all one-note, defined by one single objective that is rarely explored after its introduction. Amita wants to get away from her domineering mother, Constance is a street hustler searching for something better, and Tammy just likes doing this. The sooner you accept that everyone is just in it for the money, the more you'll enjoy the ride.
Thankfully, the thin, almost nonexistent characters are occasionally offset by the performances, which feature these eight women mostly playing exaggerated versions of themselves. Sandra Bullock, maybe the most bankable and effortlessly excellent leading woman in Hollywood, practically exudes cool here, serving as the perfect replacement for George Clooney's smooth criminal. It's hard to care too much about Debbie's revenge plot, but Bullock shines nonetheless. Plus, her chemistry with the always-brilliant Cate Blanchett is terrific, maybe even bordering on a low-key sexual tension between the two longtime friends. Anne Hathaway has been billed as the film's primary scene-stealer, and there's a very good reason for that- she's downright hilarious. Kluger is one of the more enigmatic characters in Ocean's 8, which allows Hathaway to dig into some overdramatic, delightfully strange territory.
The three leads are so good that it often feels like the supporting crew is getting the short end of the stick. Sarah Paulson is perhaps the greatest standout, serving as the group's most charismatic trickster. But when I was discussing the different performances with a friend after the movie, I almost completely forgot that Helena Bonham Carter made an appearance. Chalk that up to the fact that this is very much a film of two distinct halves, with Carter barely a factor in the latter half. Rihanna, Awkwafina, and Mindy Kaling have a few moments to shine, but they also vanish from the movie for long intervals, to the point that I wondered if there was some sleight of hand at play.
In a way, screenwriters Gary Ross and Olivia Milch made the right decision by avoiding unnecessary motivations and backstories for these characters. The Ocean's movies are about escapism, not emotion, and it would have been silly for this story to be bogged down in layers of sentimentality and character details. Heist movies are about skill and precision, and each player in Ocean's 8 serves their purpose without missing a beat. Even if you know nothing about their backstory or their internal reasons, you know exactly what they're doing and why they're a part of this story. Simplicity is the name of the game in Ocean's 8, and Ross sticks with that for the entire film.
Plus, good luck caring about any of that needless filler when the actual heist is going down. The road to get there may be a little bumpy, but Ross delivers a spectacular final setpiece, just as perfectly executed as Debbie's ingenious plan intended. With the help of editor Juliette Welfling, Ross zigs and zags from one character to another, each putting a new piece of the ambitious criminal puzzle together. Some have audibly complained that the heist is too light on actual tension, which is a fair and valid complaint. There are certainly a few times earlier in the movie where a problem is suspiciously solved almost instantly, but the smoothness of the operation is a joy to behold. Everything in the heist is so fast and fun and light-hearted that real stakes would be a betrayal of that tone, a pointless addition to a concoction that's already massively captivating to watch. The film goes on for a bit too long after the crime is complete (spoiler?), but like all good heist movies, Ocean's 8 has a few tricks up its sleeve.
Perhaps the greatest disappointment of the entire endeavor is that a major twist was spoiled very early in the marketing. Some may be surprised, but anyone who viewed the marketing with a discerning eye likely knows a little too much about what goes down near the end of the film. Minor quibbles aside, Ocean's 8 is an undeniably fun time at the theater. Its lack of actual substance may prove to be a turn-off for some, but its superficial charms and easy-going spirit are sufficient enough to overlook any errors in cinematic judgement. Basically, there's eight talented actresses doing their thing in a snazzy heist flick. Nothing less, nothing more.
But what more could you want?
THE FINAL GRADE: B (7.4/10)
Images courtesy of Warner Bros. Pictures
Ocean's 8 is the latest chapter in the Hollywood trend of gender-swapped reboots, though it has been decidedly less controversial than its ghost-bustin' counterpart. The sequel to Steven Soderbergh's acclaimed heist trilogy assembles a group of Tinseltown's most famous actresses for a massive robbery, which has the potential to make each character a whole lot richer. And while it offers few novel developments along the way, Ocean's 8 is something of a blast, a thoroughly diverting and crowd-pleasing bit of splashy fun. It's difficult, maybe even impossible to be all that invested in what's happening on screen, but director Gary Ross pulls off a slick and delectably glossy heist flick, one that's low on depth but high on entertainment value.
After one of her criminal schemes went south, Debbie Ocean (Sandra Bullock), the sister of the late Danny Ocean, has spent the last five years in a penitentiary. As the film begins, Debbie is finally paroled, telling the officer that she just wants a simple life. "Good one," says the officer at the gate, handing Debbie an elaborate dress and fur coat, knowing full well that the former con woman's life will be anything but simple. Once back in the free world, Debbie re-connects with her close confidant Lou (Cate Blanchett) and lets her in on a little secret. While in prison, she didn't just sit there and wait for her time to be up- that would be too easy. Instead, Debbie planned an elaborate and intricate heist of the Met Gala, one of the premiere events in the world. More specifically, the criminal expert laid the groundwork for a plan to steal the Toussaint, a Cartier necklace valued at nearly $150 million dollars. To pull it off, they'll need a crew of 7 women, each with a very particular set of skills.
For the plan to work, they'll need a celebrity to wear the necklace. Debbie and Lou enlist Rose Weil (Helena Bonham Carter), a washed-up designer who still holds some cachet in the eyes of Anna Wintour and other fashion experts, to dress Daphne Kluger (Anne Hathaway), the host of the Met Gala and a celebrity icon. Kluger will wear the Toussaint, and the crew will steal it. From there, Debbie and Lou assemble jewelry expert Amita (Mindy Kaling), pickpocket Constance (Awkwafina), hacker Nine Ball (Rihanna), and master manipulator Tammy (Sarah Paulson) to round out the crew, each with their own very specific purpose within the job. But as the risky and dangerous heist approaches, the crew will learn that Debbie might have a bit more up her sleeve than they realized. As the mastermind tries to pull a job inside a job, the entire operation threatens to fall apart.
Ocean's 8 takes a little time to find its footing, and I don't think it's a radical statement to say that the first half is significantly weaker than the second. Watching Debbie put together this all-star squad is intermittently amusing, but even with the flashy montages and jazzy vibes, it's often unsatisfying. And that's because these characters are almost all one-note, defined by one single objective that is rarely explored after its introduction. Amita wants to get away from her domineering mother, Constance is a street hustler searching for something better, and Tammy just likes doing this. The sooner you accept that everyone is just in it for the money, the more you'll enjoy the ride.
Thankfully, the thin, almost nonexistent characters are occasionally offset by the performances, which feature these eight women mostly playing exaggerated versions of themselves. Sandra Bullock, maybe the most bankable and effortlessly excellent leading woman in Hollywood, practically exudes cool here, serving as the perfect replacement for George Clooney's smooth criminal. It's hard to care too much about Debbie's revenge plot, but Bullock shines nonetheless. Plus, her chemistry with the always-brilliant Cate Blanchett is terrific, maybe even bordering on a low-key sexual tension between the two longtime friends. Anne Hathaway has been billed as the film's primary scene-stealer, and there's a very good reason for that- she's downright hilarious. Kluger is one of the more enigmatic characters in Ocean's 8, which allows Hathaway to dig into some overdramatic, delightfully strange territory.
The three leads are so good that it often feels like the supporting crew is getting the short end of the stick. Sarah Paulson is perhaps the greatest standout, serving as the group's most charismatic trickster. But when I was discussing the different performances with a friend after the movie, I almost completely forgot that Helena Bonham Carter made an appearance. Chalk that up to the fact that this is very much a film of two distinct halves, with Carter barely a factor in the latter half. Rihanna, Awkwafina, and Mindy Kaling have a few moments to shine, but they also vanish from the movie for long intervals, to the point that I wondered if there was some sleight of hand at play.
In a way, screenwriters Gary Ross and Olivia Milch made the right decision by avoiding unnecessary motivations and backstories for these characters. The Ocean's movies are about escapism, not emotion, and it would have been silly for this story to be bogged down in layers of sentimentality and character details. Heist movies are about skill and precision, and each player in Ocean's 8 serves their purpose without missing a beat. Even if you know nothing about their backstory or their internal reasons, you know exactly what they're doing and why they're a part of this story. Simplicity is the name of the game in Ocean's 8, and Ross sticks with that for the entire film.
Plus, good luck caring about any of that needless filler when the actual heist is going down. The road to get there may be a little bumpy, but Ross delivers a spectacular final setpiece, just as perfectly executed as Debbie's ingenious plan intended. With the help of editor Juliette Welfling, Ross zigs and zags from one character to another, each putting a new piece of the ambitious criminal puzzle together. Some have audibly complained that the heist is too light on actual tension, which is a fair and valid complaint. There are certainly a few times earlier in the movie where a problem is suspiciously solved almost instantly, but the smoothness of the operation is a joy to behold. Everything in the heist is so fast and fun and light-hearted that real stakes would be a betrayal of that tone, a pointless addition to a concoction that's already massively captivating to watch. The film goes on for a bit too long after the crime is complete (spoiler?), but like all good heist movies, Ocean's 8 has a few tricks up its sleeve.
Perhaps the greatest disappointment of the entire endeavor is that a major twist was spoiled very early in the marketing. Some may be surprised, but anyone who viewed the marketing with a discerning eye likely knows a little too much about what goes down near the end of the film. Minor quibbles aside, Ocean's 8 is an undeniably fun time at the theater. Its lack of actual substance may prove to be a turn-off for some, but its superficial charms and easy-going spirit are sufficient enough to overlook any errors in cinematic judgement. Basically, there's eight talented actresses doing their thing in a snazzy heist flick. Nothing less, nothing more.
But what more could you want?
THE FINAL GRADE: B (7.4/10)
Images courtesy of Warner Bros. Pictures
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