Steven Soderbergh had quite the trilogy with his heist flicks that commenced with Ocean’s 11. The heist film is a challenging genre to get right and when it is nailed, it is a beautiful thing. Who would ever have thought that flipping that Soderbergh formula’s (that in all honesty began with the Rat Pack in the ‘60s) gender would prove to be so uniquely successful, thrilling, fun and one hell of a cinematic joyride?
Then again, if you break it down, all the signs where there.
Gary Ross (The Hunger Games, Seabiscuit, Pleasantville) wrote and directed the picture with Soderbergh onboard as producer, ensuring that legacy continued at the high-level fans of the series have been accustomed. Instead of a crew of 11, 12 or 13… this time we have a titular group of robbers that number eight and that means eight phenomenal women of varying fame that share one characteristic and that is there are undeniably dynamic screen presences.
Leading the crew is Sandra Bullock as Danny Ocean’s (George Clooney) sister, who has spent that last several years locked-up and dreaming of only one thing. That’s a whole lot of time to plot and get something impeccably right as a robbery at the Met Gala needs to be. Helping Ocean is her BFF, Cate Blanchett’s Lou. She’s quite the badass and proves to be an invaluable asset in the planning of this heist in terms of getting the best peeps for the job and knowing who is right for what in the scope of robbing the dripping-with-diamonds necklace off the neck of Anne Hathaway’s clueless to a hilarious fault celebrity, Daphne Kluger.
Filling out the crew, and playing their roles immaculately are Helena Bonham Carter as Rose Weil, Sarah Paulson as Tammy, Mindy Kaling as Amita, Crazy Rich Asians scene-stealer Awkwafina as Constanc and Rihanna as Nine Ball—the tech savvy member of any heist crew who might just be the MVP.
Collectively they not only comprise the best group that can help Ocean achieve her dream, but they are bodaciously brilliant in terms of the joys they provide the audience. Ocean’s 8 finds their collective chemistry is stunning with each keenly knowing their moment to shine and does so in a manner that is sensationally selfless.
Much like Soderbergh’s films were, Ocean’s 8 is incredibly self-aware and the winks at the viewers are fast and furious. There are cameos that are jaw-droppingly amazing and even a few nods to the first three films that came prior. Ross has the firmest of commands of his cast and this tale and executes it in the most economically efficient manner that is such a pleasure to witness play out over its one-hour-and-fifty-one-minutes.
It’s hard to single out who shines more than the others—as all involved are truly an ensemble in the purest sense of the word. But, there is something truly extraordinary about what Hathaway brings to her character that is unlike anything we’ve seen her do before. It’s amazing. Just awesome.
The heist itself—like the first three Ocean’s films—is the stuff of genius. The Met Gala is one of the largest gatherings of celebrities in any given year, almost more so than the Oscars. Jewelers, designers and everyone else in that realm do battle every 12 months for the “honor” to dress and accessorize said super famous folks for that iconic red carpet walk that is literally worth its weight in gold. Imagine robbing it! Pretty gutsy move for our crew and an even gutsier idea for the filmmakers to create and execute. Then again, this is a franchise that saw a Las Vegas casino robbed… twice!
Looking for fabulous popcorn fun, seek no further than Bullock, Blanchett and company as they divinely deliver on so many levels. Much as Clooney, Brad Pitt and Matt Damon got to do, we certainly hope that Ocean’s 8 gets a return ticket and returns as Oceans’ 9 sooner than later.
Bonus features add to the resonance of the Ocean’s 8 experience and we have to insist that viewers begin with A Heist in Heels. Besides having a great moniker, it is a fabulous look at the making of the hit film. Ross leads the offering of insight and what struck us more than anything else in this featurette was his comment about this film serving as “a celebration of women coming together.” It really is… above all else a triumphant salute to the power of womanhood and what they can achieve when working as a team. The cast’s insight is also priceless and adds layers to the cinematic experience as well.
Ocean’s Team 3.0 puts the spotlight on the great eight. Its message of how diversity is a strength instead of a weakness is a timely theme and frankly, something most of us witnessing the film have known for some time. It’s just great to see it in action. What makes this featurette work especially well is how film clips are utilized to enhance specifically what each person is talking about. Having co-writer Olivia Milch on this featurette is a brilliant stroke.
As we have stated, bold is too tame of a term to describe the idea of “what” to steal in this Ocean’s film. Reimagining the Met Gala is a sensational featurette that employs Nancy Chilton of the Costume Institute of the Met providing priceless insight into the Gala itself—which only adds to our being impressed with the entire endeavor, from the idea of that being what it is our crew steals to how filmmakers managed to capture the spirit of the real life event and put it at the centerpiece of a heist film. Would you believe that Vogue editor Anna Wintour was even utilized as a consultant? How real the entire thing felt makes a whole lot of sense the deeper one gets into these bonus featurettes for Ocean’s 8.
Film Grade: A-
Bonus Features: B+