'Ocean's 8' sets the stage for one of the best heist films in recent memory, featuring a star-studded all-female cast.
Rating 3.5/5
Danny Ocean’s (George Clooney) younger sister Debbie (Sandra Bullock) is released from prison after a five-year stint. And the first thing she wants to do on her release is pull off one of the biggest heists at one of the most important nights in fashion – the Met Gala.
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Following the success of the rebooted Ocean’s franchise in the early Noughties, the successful film series has, for the most part, had a predominantly male cast. The female spin-off is not only a breath of fresh air. It also throws in some subtle commentary on the perception of women in society.
What really makes this an enjoyable film is the witty script, along with the brilliant acting from the main cast. Rihanna is hilarious as the stoned hacker Nine Ball, which shows that director Gary Ross has a great understanding of how to use actors effectively. Just like James Gunn was able to get Dave Batista to give such a great performance in 'Guardians of the Galaxy'.
And this is saying a lot since the Fenty Beauty owner’s last outing in 'Valerian and The City of a Thousand Planets' was about as good as Cara Delevingne in 'Suicide Squad'. The real actresses in the film also give outstanding performances and fully inhabit their characters.
It is also great to have Helena Bonham Carter’s innate eccentric acting style being toned down a few notches as the fictional designer Rose Weil.
The celebrity cameos were used sparingly and added to the feeling that it was the real Met Gala. And luckily the Kardashian/Jenners are only on screen for a split second and ironically looked better at the fictional Met Gala than they did at the real event this year.
US Vogue Editor-in-Chief Anna Wintour also makes a few cameos and is still not dressed to theme. So that’s accurate.
My only gripe about having the set at the Met Gala is that Rihanna is the reigning queen of the Met Gala; not having her there as herself was strange.
But I digress. This is one hilariously smart film, and shows yet again that having an all-female spin-off doesn’t take away from the original. Plus, screenwriters are also forced to write women without their entire existence revolving around a cisgender, heterosexual man. O
verall, Ocean’s 8 is really good and is a good alternative if you’ve watched all the other superhero movies that are currently out at the cinema.