All female fun flick
Fashionistas will remember pop singer Rihanna (and a whole lot of American celebs togged up in ecclesiastical robes at a recent exhibition at New York’s Metropolitan Museum of Art. Movie-goers will now see Rihanna and a whole lot of celebs dressed to the nines in a screen version of the Met’s legendary costume gala. However, Rihanna and the talented female cast (Sandra Bullock excepted) get to show off their finery only at the very end of this stylish spin-off to Steven Soderbergh’s three Ocean’s films starring George Clooney.
What’s Rihanna doing here? Before the culmination of the topdraw event on NYC’s social calendar, she and other crooked minds must carry out Bullock’s revengefuelled jewellery heist. Bullock plays Debbie Ocean, ex jail bird and younger sister of Danny (Clooney) Ocean (is he really dead?) who reconnects with old bootlegging gal-pal Lou (Cate Blanchett) to form a team to implement the aforementioned larceny.
The conscienceless heist-crew includes fashion designer Rose Weil (Helena Bonham Carter), jeweller Amita (Mindy Kaling), pickpocket Constance (Awkwafina), suburban housewife and
ex fence Tammy (Sarah Paulson), and computer hacker Nine Ball (Rihanna). The object of Debbie’s devotion is a $150 million Cartier necklace which is loaned to movie star Daphne Kluger (Anne Hathaway) for the Met gala.
Ah me. Even the high-minded and moralistic are persuaded to laugh at Debbie’s con-jobs and condone the subplot about her cheating art dealer boyfriend Claude Becker (Richard Armitage) But sigh.
The gorgeous artworks at the Met (Van Gogh!) the designer clothes sported by celebs (Kim Kardashian, Heidi Klum, Serena Williams, Katy Holmes) are a treat to watch. Late night talk show host James Corden makes an impressive detective.
And all of the women actors are exceptional, including our very own Mindy Kaling, notwithstanding the firangi Hindi accent. I really wish though the hugely talented Bonham Carter didn’t always look so very eccentric.