'Ocean's 8' A Review

Ocean's 8 is a heist movie, a quasi continuation of the Ocean's 11 series with an all female core cast. The movie opens on Debbie Ocean(Sandra Bullock) in prison shortly before her parole. Debbie is released and meets her partner Lou(Cate Blanchett) and immediately begins assembling a team to pull of a jewel heist at the Met Gala. In a flashback we learn Debbie was set up by her former paramour Claude(Richard Armitage) who fortuitously ends up attending the gala.

Bullock is commanding as always, Blanchett isn't given much of a character but skates through on her natural magnetism. The other members of the team are all well cast and give good performances- Mindy Kaling, Sarah Paulson, Helena Bonham Carter, Awkwafina, and especially Rihanna- however there is a substantial amount of exposition and planning to get through and what is sacrificed is the clearly electric chemistry between the team. There's no scene of them hanging out in the safe house which would, from the brief interactions we get, be more compelling than the machinations of the job. Anne Hathaway as the defacto patsy distinguishes herself because she's given a good amount of attention and screen time.

The movie doesn't have the visual flare of its Soderbergh predecessors but it is a competent and interesting heist story some what restricted by the necessities of the form. There are a couple moments of explicit messaging that are much appreciated as a movie like this is unique if not in plotting than in representation. Enjoyable and in its Hollywood conventionality important.The more diverse mainstream blockbusters become the better and this is a great step forward.

Rent It.