Who knew that Danny Ocean (George Clooney) had a little sister? It seems she so looked up to her big bro, that she wanted to be just like him. In Ocean’s 8, Debbie Ocean (Oscar winner Sandra Bullock) gets to plan and pull off a heist that is as enormous and entertaining as anything Danny ever dreamed up.
Ocean’s 8 joins the Steven Soderbergh universe that began with his Clooney, Brad Pitt and Matt Damon starring Ocean’s 11 in 2001, followed up by the lesser quality Ocean’s 12 and much better Ocean’s 13. The Bullock-leading highly enjoyable fourth film in the series is equally as exciting as it is historic in that it features an all-female ensemble effectively executing the rarest of movie subgenre to get right—the heist.
As the film commences, Debbie is in her parole board hearing. She is doing everything she can to see the sunshine and breathe the fresh air once again. Putting on a good show, Ocean gets her freedom ticket stamped and immediately she returns to her old ways. Conning her way into a hotel room, clothes, makeup and perfume is just the beginning. But, it’s a terrific way of introducing us to this character with just a few brush strokes, courtesy of Olivia Milch and co-writer/director Gary Ross’ screenplay.
This is a woman on a mission, something also brilliantly illustrated by the screenwriting tandem. She reconnects with her old partner Lou (Oscar winner Cate Blanchett) and Debbie unlocks the key to the heist plan to outdo all heist plans. After all, she’s had years behind bars to plan this thing to a “T” and ensure its perfection. Their target: The Met Ball. More specifically, they have their eyes on a $150 million Cartier necklace that will be worn by super-celebrity Daphne Kluger (another Oscar winner, Anne Hathaway).
Ross’ film is firmly entrenched in the tone of the first three Ocean’s movies and is easily the best in the series since the first. Between the score, the fast-paced editing and even the cinematography, this is an Ocean’s cinematic experience through and through. That is not an easy task. Whereas the earlier, male-centric, flicks had the vivacious vibrancy of Las Vegas or Europe to enhance its electricity, Ocean’s 8 spends its entire two hours in New York City. Yes, there is the bright lights and gaud glamour of The Met Gala. But for the most part, the heist is practiced and planned in the greyness of America’s largest city. Yet, it still feels as lit up as the neon of the Vegas strip. Impressive.
When it comes to the cast, the ensemble is every bit as awesome as the crew that assembled for Soderbergh’s trilogy. It could be argued that the first three Ocean’s films got muddled as they added characters for those sequel numbers that went up.
Blanchett and Bullock are a dynamic duo and witnessing them collectively certainly recalls Pitt and Clooney, but make no mistake—these two are wildly in their own league. There’s a innate shorthand to the two actresses that had us believing that these two have shared camera time prior. They haven’t. Hathaway is a scene stealer of the highest order. She has probably the richest character to portray and given an arc that is full of surprises. Her Met Gala superstar is a bit on the vapid side, but there is much more to her than meets the eye. Hathaway turns in a performance that is so strong, that in our opinion, she gets the Ocean’s 8 MVP.
Utterly fantastic to witness is the performance by Helena Bonham Carter as Rose Weil. She is a fashion designer whose luck and talent appear to be on the waning side of things. When she’s approached by our two leaders of the pack, Weil believes that maybe things might change for her. Bonham Carter’s ability to take Weil from strong and centered to flailing and flatlining in confidence is stunning.
Mindy Kaling does her best with Amita. She’s a diamond appraiser/jewelry maker who is tired of living in and around her mother’s shadow. The arrival of Debbie and Lou allows her to forge her own path and the actress brings the most she can to a role that is sadly a tad too underdeveloped. The same cannot be said for the gift that is given to Sarah Paulson with her Tammy. The suburban mother is living the dream, sure, but clearly her past life gave her more thrills and spills—something she misses and thus, why she has joined Ocean’s 8. It is a rich performance by the award-winning thespian and she revels in the joy Tammy has leaving the kids behind for her special “mommy’s trip.”
Rihanna’s hacker Nine Ball provides her fair share of humor, although she too is a bit narrow in the character development department. It’s great to see the Grammy winning singer acting and here’s hoping she gets more opportunities because what she teased us with in Ross’ film is truly joyous. The second scene stealer is Awkwafina, who takes what is essentially a two-dimensional character of Constance and breathes life into her which makes her multi-dimensional. Spin-off? Yes please.
Ross (The Hunger Games, Seabiscuit) clearly has a blast and what they say is true. If the cast and crew are having fun, so too will the audience. He had an extremely challenging task in taking someone else’s film series (Soderbergh) and simultaneously making it his own and keeping it within the confines of what was already there.
The issue is that as the second act morphs into the third, the pace suddenly drags. The plot and dramatic pull are muddled. Otherwise, it is a tightly wound joyride that only pauses every so slightly for a dozen or so minutes. Unfortunately, this drop-off in tenor occurs when cinema stories traditionally are catapulting their audience towards a thrilling conclusion.
Ocean’s 8 recovers and marches itself to an ending that leaves us wanting these ladies to get the band back together and take someone else’s stuff.
Grade: B