Film Review: Ocean’s 8 Is Female Fun And I Am Grateful

SYNOPSIS: Debbie Ocean gathers an all-female crew to attempt an impossible heist at New York City’s yearly Met Gala.

Sophisticatedly directed by Gary Ross, Ocean’s 8 is EXACTLY like the previous, male-dominated Ocean’s franchise because it relies heavily on its cast. Blessed with the biggest actresses and coolest musicians of our time, like Rihanna and Awkwafina, the film thrives on the “ooohhh’s” and “aaahh’s” of seeing them work together. It may be blatant and brazen in its desire to attract pop culture addicts and women ready to see other women empowered but…..what’s wrong with that?

I, like every other person I know, wanted to see Ocean’s 8 because Sandra Bullock Cate Blanchett, Mindy Kaling, and Rihanna were all going to share a scene together, which meant I was going to be the first cardiac arrest induced by fangirling. Yet, once again like the previous franchise, Ocean’s builds itself on the fandom of its actors, and the move keeps you consistently satisfied. I was happy to see each lady get their fair share of screen time and important role in of the most elaborate, improbable jewel heists of all time. Walking in, I thought I would get 10 seconds of Rihanna as 9 ball and Awkwafina as Constance, but both ladies serve up the laughs and some Millennial chicness to the film. Meanwhile, Sandra Bullock, as Debbie Ocean, serves a cool, reservedness to her role as leader; that makes you see how she is Danny Ocean’s little sister. Yet, her insistence to keep her amassing of excellent thieves female brings out a subtle, social commentary: the invisibility of women.

“Women are ignored, and we need to use that” Debbie says when Lou (Cate Blanchett) tries to hire a guy to join the team. It is true. For all the high fashion they wear, and the glitz and “feigned” demureness they ignite when trying to rile some mischief, Debbie and the gang are underestimated because they are women. Going into an Ocean’s film, I already knew they were going to get away with their heist, but you go to see how. Thus, colored me shocked when, despite their mass intelligence, brilliant skill, and cohesiveness, the ultimate reason they got away with everything is because….. they were women. Nobody expects women to outsmart the “guys” or even THINK about stealing a slice of the “money” pie. Yet, when a necklace is worth 150 million dollars, and your life/ savings account is worth 45 bucks, a life of crime looks attractive to any gender.

From Helena Bonham Carter’s Rose, the emotionally fragile, IRS owing fashion designer, to Sarah Paulson’s Tammy, a frustrated, brilliant stay-at-home mom with some annoying kids, Ocean’s 8 shows that women are only seen according to how they serve and look. In their own way, each of the ladies are tired of living a life where they have to give to others and look pretty while doing it. Even Mindy Kaling’s Amita opens the film tired of living with her mom and her pressure to marry her off. The film does well to set up that each woman is READY to take from this world what they feel they have been denied: access, money, and power. If that is NOT the truest feminist statement I do not know what is! Yet, this message is subtle and quiet, which are two things this film can feel like a lot of times.

While there are laughs and characters people will gravitate to, like Cate Blanchett’s rocker-esque, fashion queen “Lou” and Anne Hathaway’s incredibly witty but highly underestimated Daphne, the movie is a lot of smooth conversation mixed in with a few splashy images. For being a 110 minutes, Ocean’s 8 goes by quickly and its quickest portion is the actual heist. While it is fun to see your favorite actresses chat with each other about committing a crime and peruse around the screen like a live-action People magazine, I was surprised there was not more action. Yet, to be fair, this was just beginning.

It has been awhile since the I saw the original Ocean’s franchise, but while Ocean’s 8 follows it aesthetically, it feels comparatively quieter in rowdiness. Then again, the initial Ocean’s franchise did flow with a “boys will be boys mentality” while Ocean’s 8 is all about a “Women Shall Be Women” fierceness. Either way, while people will compare the franchises, Ocean’s 8 succeeds in making you want more. It is a foundation for a group of characters that are fascinating, smart, funny, and cannot help but make you feel like, “YES, LADIES CAN DO ANYTHING!” Personally, I am ready for the sequel. Ocean’s 8 comes out in theaters on June 8.