You know you’re in for a great ride the moment you see Sandra Bullock’s Debbie Ocean practically bullshit her way out of prison.
The first few minutes of Gary Ross’ “Ocean’s 8” basically set the mood of the entire film and showed us that Debbie will call every single shot.
Her bravado was all it took to get every single thing she wanted from the moment she walked out of prison completely made up with only a few dollars in her pocket to the moment she ended up in a five-star hotel.
I had so much fun watching that scene, it will be forever seared in my memory.
The star power in this sequel is so strong you won’t mind the fact that the script (co-written by Ross and Olivia Milch) isn’t exactly brilliant. It’s something we’ve seen before (The Italian Job, The Town, etc.) and while the plot isn’t exactly earth-shattering in terms of plot twists nor does it contain ingenious thievery, the movie’s appeal rests on its all-star cast.
Upon walking out of prison, Debbie went straight back to what she does best. She enlists the help of her partner, Lou, played by the equally gorgeous and talented Cate Blanchett, to steal the Toussant, a $150-million necklace, featured at the Met Gala. To bring her fool-proof plan into fruition, they embarked on a mission to find the best allies: a hacker (Rihanna), designer (Helena Bonham-Cater), thief (Sarah Paulson), street performer (Awkwafina), jewelry designer (Mindy Kaling), and an unwitting actress (Anne Hathaway).
To say the female leads are amazing is an understatement. While Bullock somehow looked subdued the entire time (pursed lips, speaking in almost a hushed voice a lot of times) and didn’t even have any stunt unlike Cate Blanchett’s Lou, her commanding presence transcends the screen.
My friend was right in saying that their star power was great you’d find yourself fanboying.
Every scene that had Bullock and Blanchett in it seemed like a spell that enchants and enthralls.
And then add the rest of the ladies to the mix and you’re in for a fun, wild ride. It’s actually great to see the likes of Paulson, Bonham-Carter and even Hathaway play support roles to the two B’s.
But it doesn’t mean they were underwhelming. While it would have been nice to see them get more airtime, I am not complaining because they were able to utilize every scene they got.
And despite the many cute cameos in the movie, these girls didn’t drown in the crowd.
Gender-flipping sequels like this adds to efforts in empowering women in the entertainment industry. While the female-led reboot “Ghostbusters” wasn’t exactly as successful as many wished, it was a start. “Ocean’s 8” can simply pick up where “Ghostbusters” left off.
“Somewhere out there is an eight-year old dreaming to become a criminal someday. You are doing it for them,” says Debbie as they prepare to put their plan into motion.
Now that may not sound morally right, but it kinda says something about what the movie is trying to say on a deeper layer: that they want to inspire young women to follow their dreams even when it seems impossible to pull off.
One thing’s for sure: “Ocean’s 8” is oozing with star power it makes heists look dangerously stylish and fabulous.
Photo credits: Warner Bros. Pictures
