By Connor Tighe
For those heist movie lovers, this film provides a good twist on a familiar franchise. Debbie Ocean (Sandra Bullock), leads a pack of women to pull off a large heist at the annual Met Gala. This film takes a fresh spin on the original Ocean's movies that featured George Clooney. Ocean’s Eleven featured all-males and featured Danny’s love interest, played by Julia Roberts, as the only female in the casting. Heist-wise, it’s more complex however not entirely different. Danny attempts to steal cash from a popular casino in Las Vegas that is run by his arch nemesis, Terry Benedict (Andy Garcia). Although the film features a cast made up of women, it doesn’t provide that feel that the original movies had. This movie is still worth the peek and is a good symbol for women in the film industry today.
Image from IMDb
This isn’t the first time this has happened in film history, however. 2016’s Ghostbusters also took the same path as well by casting an all-female cast. It is probably likely we will be seeing some more remakes in “female form” if you will. It’s a time in the film industry where women are beginning to take over originally-casted male roles. The film did a good job with this, although it lacked the suspense that came from the original Ocean's movies.
The casting choices were well-done, featuring Sandra Bullock, Cate Blanchett, Anne Hathaway, Awkwafina, Mindy Kaling, Sarah Paulson, Helena Bonham Carter, and even Rihanna. Complete with their own set of skills, they join forces to steal incredibly expensive jewelry at the Met Gala. The plot seems rushed and there seems to be no buildup to the heist. We are introduced to each character briefly and then they attempt the heist.
Image from IMDb
There is plenty of humor throughout the film, although it seems dry and mediocre. The remake of Ghostbusters also tried to provide more humor during their go around. At times, it feels as if the director was trying too hard to instill humor into the characters. Making Rihanna say random phrases to herself was just plain odd to watch, for example. The characters make the audience feel as if they are with the cast pulling off this heist. Since this is the first big female heist film, we as the audience feel more obligated to see this heist through. There is a sense of likeness among each of the characters. Each woman having completely different personalities yet managing to work together in a high-stress situation.
The heist itself is dull and unoriginal. Stealing jewelry from exhibits seems to be a running joke in most heist movies. You would think that this movie would’ve brought something different to the table, but that’s not the case. The suspense is done well, and the film has several moments of panic as to what will happen next. There were several moments I found myself becoming tense due to the stress in the film. The heist feels exciting despite not being original. Once you have seen the film, the suspense is gone, and I feel as if it’s a “one-time see” type of movie. There is little character development even behind heist-leader, Debbie Ocean. Danny Ocean is only mentioned a handful of times in the film, which felt weird to me due to his legacy. Overall, the film lacks originality. Sandra Bullock delivers an excellent performance as usual, along with the others. It’s nice to see some actresses, such as Sarah Paulson, out of their element.
Image from IMDb
Having a full-female cast was a good choice. Ocean’s 8 proves that yet again, women can do just as good, if not better, at male roles. It was a fresh perspective on a beloved film series. This movie is the perfect symbol for how far women have come in film. Having an all-female cast is unheard of for most films, so “applause” for that. There still seems to be something missing from this movie. The backstory of Danny Ocean made the movies worth witnessing. We seem to be thrown into the plot with little explanation of current events. That is where this film is weak. I will say tthat the ending had a great resolution. The audience was able to witness what each character does with their lives after they complete the heist. I only wish more background was included towards the beginning of the film.
