- Ocean’s Eight reveals the story of Debbie Ocean, leading a group of women into a heist.
- They plan to steal a $150 million Cartier necklace from actress and socialite Daphne Kluger’s neck.
- This heist will happen at The Met Gala, the biggest event of all of New York.
Men would usually top-bill a cinematic heist and one or two women will just get dragged into it. However, Hollywood now progresses into an equality-friendly, anti-sexism and anti-misogynistic industry.
So, naturally, there would be a female-focused American heist comedy, Ocean’s Eight.
This stars A-list actresses: Sandra Bullock, Cate Blanchett, Mindy Kaling, Helena Bonham-Carter, Sarah Paulson, Anne Hathaway, Awkwafina, and Rihanna.
Ocean’s Eight reveals the story of Debbie Ocean, leading a group of women into stealing a $150 million Cartier necklace from actress and socialite Daphne Kluger’s neck while at The Met Gala, the biggest event of all of New York.
Bullock plays the estranged younger sister of the now-deceased Daniel Ocean, Debbie Ocean. George Clooney used to play Daniel in Ocean’s film series: Ocean’s 11 (2001), Ocean’s 12 (2004) and Ocean’s 13 (2007).
Bullock’s portrayal of Debbie has a spark of smugness and a little bit of charisma. The cool exterior isn’t anything new as we have already seen it in her 20- movie, The Proposal. However, she had brought a unique aura to the intellectual criminal who had thought and planned about the heist in a thorough process for exactly five years, eight months and twelve days.
The heist focused on females because according to Debbie herself, “a him gets noticed and a her gets ignored.” For as long as we can remember, women are portrayed as objects and are continued to be sexualized in many ways. Although there are men in the cast such as James Corden, the insurance investigator and Richard Armitage the arm-candy, they only seemed to be mere accessories and plot points for our stellar women.
Meanwhile, Blanchett portrays Lou, Debbie’s long-time friend, and partner-in-crime. In Clooney’s trilogy, Tom Cruise plays the long-time friend and partner-in-crime. Basically, Blanchett is Bullock’s own Cruise. Her portrayal of Lou may remind viewers of a typical bad teenager riding a motorcycle wherever they go. She had also brought a charm to the right-hand arm of the heist.
This charm also made viewers sense a sexual tension between Lou and Debbie, maybe a past romantic flare that had flickered between them. Unfortunately, the movie didn’t elaborate their duo that could either confirm or deny the possibility of a romantic affair.
Kaling plays Amita, a jewelry maker who wanted to escape the wrath of her mother. Although her character acted like a quintessential Kaling role, it still seemed unique and fresh. However, the authenticity of her South Asian roots deserves a shout from her fellow Indian women.
On the other hand, Paulson portrays Tammy, Debbie’s former partner-in-crime who became a suburban mom who sometimes traffics appliances from other countries.
However, Paulson’s portrayal of the original character brought her motherhood in the mix for the heist. The portrayal of the character also didn’t focus on being a mother. As we all know, some moms in movies and televisions, point motherhood as one of their plot conflicts. In this case, it did not because mothers are bad-ass women who can do anything they set their mind to.
Bonham-Carter plays the emotionally fragile and seasoned fashion designer, Rose Weiler. She plays a vital role in dressing Daphne Kluger for The Met Gala. A contrast to Kaling’s, Bonham-Carter’s character and portrayal remains different from what we’re used to. Although she still has the crazy hair and the British accent, Bonham-Carter remains pioneering and innovative.
Meanwhile, Awkwafina portrays Constance, a small-time thief. Awkwafina’s portrayal is, well, awkward in a lovingly kind of way. She embodies Matt Damon’s character in Clooney’s “Ocean’s.” They both started in a small-time thievery and had a somewhat innocent approach. She also had viewers chuckling at her weirdness in a bit about Metro Cards.
Rihanna plays Nine Ball, a technical genius who never reveals her real name. She also came up with an answer to many questions which conflicts and other characters in the movie. Rihanna made her character a scene-stealer. She may be a small-time character but she definitely stood out in so many ways.
And of course, Hathaway plays a very very very good actress Daphne Kluger, the target of a heist. An actress playing an actress will always be a challenging thing to do as the Hathaway had to make her character, Daphne, either remotely similar or different from each other. Hathaway made her character look like society’s typical depiction of a vain celebrity. She also made Daphne look like a quintessential Barbie “in a good way.”
Ocean’s Eight also showcases the women’s world of make-up, fashion, and jewelry. But beneath the glittering diamonds and couture gowns, the movie is really about empowered women sticking up for each other and making the unthinkable happen.
Although Ocean’s Eight was good, it could have been great. The movie introduces a problem and would fix it quickly. However, this issue makes sense as Debbie had a long time thinking about the plan. The movie also had a few crackles and plot points that needed explaining. On that note, Ocean’s Eight remains too fun to make viewers hope for a next one.
RATING: 4/5
