A STYLISH HEIST
Debbie Ocean (Bullock) and her crew plotting for the big heist.
OF late, there have been countless high-grossing movies from Hollywood driven by a femaledominated cast. The most recent is Ocean’s 8, a spin-off of the highly successful Ocean movie franchise. Although it was presumed to be just a fun heist movie, it has a strong feminist message for the male-dominated Hollywood.
Gary Ross, who replaces Steven Soderbergh (who directed the Ocean franchise) as the director this time around, made some pretty obvious changes.
This is a heist flick that carries on the tradition of the Ocean trilogy. It stars Sandra Bullock, Cate Blanchett, Anne Hathaway, Helena Bonham Carter, Mindy Kaling, Hathaway’s character Daphne Kluger is snooty and self-centred but stands out among the all-female cast. Rihanna, Sarah Paulson and Awkwafina.
Among its cast are three Oscar winners, an Oscar nominee, one Grammy winner, an Emmy winner and one SAG awards winner.
The film opens with a set-up similar to the previous Ocean trilogy. Debbie Ocean (Sandra Bullock) is out of prison on parole after a five-year stint. She insists that her return to the outside world will be a far cry from the con life she previously led.
Despite her earnest proclamations about wanting to start a new life, Debbie gets back in the game barely minutes after leaving prison.
Throughout her incarceration, she actually spent her time plotting the perfect heist and she’s got her to-do list all ready.
Debbie calls her partner-incrime, Lou (Cate Blanchett), and convinces the latter to join the heist.
Her aim is to steal a Cartier necklace worth US$150 million (RM600 million) during one of fashion’s biggest nights — the annual
Met Gala event.
The catch? They’ve got to steal it off Hollywood starlet Daphne Kluger (Anne Hathaway) who would be wearing it at the gala.
To pull off the heist, Debbie and Lou form a team of highly-skilled female crooks.
Rihanna is a hacker, Mindy Kaling is a jeweller, Helena Bonham Carter is a fashion designer, Awkwafina is a pickpocket and Sarah Paulson is a smuggler.
Basically, the plot for this movie is similar to other heist movies. The director takes us on a ride with a team of misfits who come together to execute a difficult robbery.
I expected some eye-popping cinematography or experimental storytelling but at the end of the day, the storyline was just okay.
The only thing that made the movie shine a little brighter was the cast — the who’s who of the A-listers. After all, these stars are decorated actresses in their own right.
Bullock, the lead, portrayed her character in such a sleek manner it almost made me want to become a con artiste too.
Then you’ve got Blanchett as Lou, a tomboy whose rock star style evokes a 70s to 80s vibe. I think it was the combination of all these actresses on screen that triggered excitement among fans.
Hathaway’s performance is also undeniable. Initially, she appears all poised and unattainable, being a Hollywood star and all, but in a twist of events, she becomes a standout character.
Even though this movie isn’t crafted with bombastic cinematography or memorable dialogue, it doesn’t pretend to be anything more than what it is.
It’s a fun movie and a treat for fans who get to see their favourite Hollywood actresses dress up as criminals and pull off an incredibly grand theft.
There is joy in watching a female squad pulling off a robbery draped in stylish gowns.
Should a group of female crooks (who are extremely good-looking too) pull this sort of heist in real life, that would be mindblowing. For now, watching Ocean’s 8 on the big screen is exciting enough.
It may not be the best heist movie but it’s enjoyable, fun and sassy. Bullock plays Debbie Ocean, a con artiste who plots to steal a US$150 million Cartier necklace.