Ocean’s 8 – Ocean’s Eight (2018)

Directed by: Gary Ross | 110 minutes | action, comedy, crime | Actors: Sandra Bullock, Cate Blanchett, Anne Hathaway, Mindy Kaling, Sarah Paulson, Awkwafina, Helena Bonham Carter, Rihanna, James Corden, Richard Armitage, Brian J. Carter, Gemma Forbes, Midori Francis, Elliott Gould, Charlotte Kirk, Timothy Woods Talia Cuomo, Charles Prendergast, Richard Robichaux, Damian Young, Gideon Glick, James Hindman, Eaddy Kiernan, Caitlin Mehner, James Biberi, Migs Govea, Nathanya Alexander

It all started in the late 1950s with the Rat Pack, the illustrious company of entertainers that included Frank Sinatra, Dean Martin and Sammy Davis Jr. were part of. The group of friends disregarded rules and were known for their wild parties where the booze – and who knows what other narcotics – flowed freely. They made a number of films together, of which the 1960 heist film ‘Ocean’s 11’ is by far the best known. The inventively put together mega robbery proved to appeal to the imagination even years later; in 2001 director Steven Soderbergh came up with a remake – ‘Ocean’s Eleven’ – starring George Clooney, Brad Pitt and Matt Damon. That film turned out to be such a success that two sequels were made: ‘Ocean’s Twelve’ in 2004 and ‘Ocean’s Thirteen’ in 2007. Soderbergh had completed his trilogy and indicated that it was finished as far as he was concerned, but in the slipstream of the ‘gender equality’ movement that has made a big splash in Hollywood, director and screenwriter Gary Ross (‘The Hunger Games’, 2012) decided to make his own spin-off, this time with an all-female guild of villains: ‘Ocean’s 8′ (2018).

She promises to improve her life as soon as she gets out of prison. But Debbie Ocean (Sandra Bullock), the sister of the now deceased Danny, doesn’t mean anything of course. Raising and stealing is what she was taught with a spoon; she doesn’t know any better. During those five long years in prison, she’s been able to brood on the perfect robbery and now that she’s out again, she has no time to lose. She assembles the perfect team, starting with her former partner in crime, Lou (Cate Blanchett). The dexterous Constance (Awkwafina), the brilliant hacker Nine Ball (Rihanna), the diamond counterfeiter Amina (Mindy Kaling), the healer Tammy (Sarah Paulson) and the long past her peak fashion designer Rose Weil (Helena Bonham-Carter) are also recruited. taken on board. The plan? A very expensive one, stealing $150 million in diamonds hung from Cartier during the prestigious Met-Gala. Famous actress Daphne Kluger (Anne Hathaway) is brought in to get the jewelry out of the safe; she will wear the necklace during the gala. Debbie immediately hopes to get back at her ex, art connoisseur Claude Becker (Richard Armitage), who betrayed her five years ago and landed her in prison.

“Don’t do this for me, don’t do this for yourself. Somewhere far away, an eight-year-old girl lies in her crib dreaming of a career as a criminal; do it for her.’ In ‘Ocean’s 8’ the roles are clearly reversed. Men don’t need Debbie and the hair (“Men stand out. A woman is ignored. Just this once, we want to be ignored too”). And let’s be honest, this team of women is ingenious and savvy enough to get the job done. As a bonus, they can also walk around in the most beautiful clothes at the society event of the year. They are, after all, women. Ross seems to have adapted the setting accordingly; where men rob banks and casinos, women do it in a location that is teeming with celebrities. Star cameos range from actresses Katie Homes and Dakota Fanning, through fashion models like Heidi Klum and Adriana Lima and sports heroines Serena Williams and Maria Sharapova to socialites Kim Kardashian West and Kylie Jenner. Even Anna Wintour, editor-in-chief of Vogue, is there. They all wanted to be part of a film in which women play the role of ‘badass criminal’, told from their own perspective.

‘Ocean’s 8’ has gathered an impressive cast, with no fewer than three Oscar winners (Cate Blanchett, Sandra Bullock and Anne Hathaway) in the ranks. Despite all that talent, not everyone knows how to make their mark. Bullock looks a bit uninspired and dull. Blanchett is the epitome of cool (those pantsuits!), but gets too little to do. Fortunately, Hathaway is on track; as a spoiled movie star, she’s basically making fun of herself. In the supporting roles, the level varies. Surprisingly, it’s the less experienced Awkwafina and Rihanna who come out on top; Kaling, Paulson and Bonham-Carter are surprisingly colorless, invisible or a muddled, unintentional parody of themselves. The men play a minor role, but talk show host James Corden still makes a comeback in a funny supporting role as an investigative insurance agent.

Of course ‘Ocean’s 8’ doesn’t win an originality prize; We’ve seen enough of such an ingeniously twisted heist. Ross and fellow screenwriter Olivia Milch have come up with a plot that has some incredulity, but is solid enough. Nevertheless, ‘Ocean’s 8’ is nowhere near as good as ‘Ocean’s Eleven’. Steven Soderbergh, who was in absolute top form at the turn of the century, managed to create a blistering energy that gave the robbery of Danny Ocean and his associates an exciting dynamic; razor-sharp dialogues, swinging camera work and a funky soundtrack did the rest. In ‘Ocean’s 8’ we don’t see any of that energy. What we see is quite entertaining, but the film does not sparkle. Who knows what would have been possible if not Ross but Soderbergh himself – acting here merely as executive producer – had taken the director’s chair himself…?