By Paul Hall
It started in 1960 with Frank Sinatra and was rebooted in 2001 starring George Clooney. It was of course Ocean’s 11, with both Sinatra and Clooney in the lead role as Danny Ocean. Now, after two sequels with Clooney, the women are in charge, and a new heist is going down in Ocean’s 8, in theaters now.
Debbie Ocean (Sandra Bullock) has been incarcerated for five years. She’ll tell you the exact amount of time to the day, but that’s because she has had one thing on her mind: the next big score. Upon her release, she immediately looks up her best friend Lou (Cate Blanchett) and drops nuggets about her plans. Then the two begin assembling their all-female crew.
Why a crew filled with women? It’s simple for Ocean. Women are usually just in the background, and now her crew will use that fact to their advantage. So Debbie and Lou assemble some of the most talented women around for the biggest job of their lives. To get them on the team, the duo will push every button possible, from helping keep designer Rose (Helena Bonham Carter) out of jail to giving expert fence and stay-at-home mom Tammy (Sarah Paulson) some extra special mommy work to do. And they have a pawn in their sights. Her name is Daphne Kluger (Anne Hathaway).
The group will plant the stories and convince Daphne that Rose must dress her for the annual Met Gala. Outfitting her will include a $150 million diamond necklace that of course Ocean’s crew intends to steal. But can they walk away with their biggest score ever?
There is a lot to this movie to discuss, but we’ll keep it simple. I love the casting decisions, one of my favorites being Rihanna as the best non-Russian hacker the team can find, Nine Ball. Why she isn’t in more movies, I don’t know — my plea to casting directors everywhere: more Rihanna, please! That’s just the tip of the iceberg, as Bullock and Blanchett are their normal wonderful selves. But in a movie this loaded with talent (as with the other Ocean’s films), the other stars become lost in the shuffle. Even the film’s pawn, Anne Hathaway, disappears into the background for the bulk of the film.
The film is definitely cool and chic throughout. I loved the look, the music, the entire feel of the movie, but it felt kind of lost at times, like there was something that needed to be done to focus the film a bit better.
Ocean’s 8 tried — really REALLY tried — to steal an A grade from me, but that is locked down under heavy security, and even Bullock’s amazing charm couldn’t pull it off. They’ll have to settle for a smaller score when it comes to my opinion, as this promising effort falls short.
Paul’s Grade: B-
Ocean’s 8
Rated PG-13
Stars: Sandra Bullock, Cate Blanchett, Anne Hathaway
Director: Gary Ross
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