The Ocean’s series pretty much owned the heist genre in the first decade of the millennial. It was the perfect recipe - a compelling plot, a complicated-but-brilliant con job, a star-studded cast, clever lines and even cleverer situations, and perhaps more importantly the easy, spontaneous, natural chemistry between the characters. The movies had a flow that was totally irresistible. It took us along for a smooth, oomph-filled ride, that was as slick and stylish as it was funny and entertaining. For a heist plot, who’s ending we always knew, it was amazing how these films grabbed our attention completely, just for the way the story was told. It was almost like the end didn’t matter. It was what happened up until the climax that we were hooked on to. The power of story-telling. The magic of Steven Soderbergh.
#Oceans8 is almost, but not quite, entirely unlike the Ocean’s series.
’Not quite entirely unlike the Ocean series’.
It’s a totally enjoyable slick non-chick-flick, with a compelling heist plot, a cleverly planned con job, a star studded cast with some of our favourites like Sandra Bullock, Cate Blanchett, Anne Hathaway and even Helena Bonham Carter and Rihanna.
The story revolves around Debbie Ocean (Sandra Bullock), Danny Ocean’s sister who returns from a 5 year prison sentence, ready to plot her biggest heist, getting a group of 7 women together to steal one of the most expensive diamond necklaces in the world. The plot follows the seen-before-yet-we-can’t-get-enough-of planning the big night with meticulous precision, and then leading upto the final climax when it all goes according to plan… almost. The twists and turns are there, the clever lines are there, the slick-ness is there. And in that sense, it’s what you would expect from an Ocean’s franchise.
Sandra Bullock is a delight to see, as Danny Ocean’s sister, and the leader of the pack, defining and detailing the mission. Cate Blanchett, as usual, plays her role to the tee, as an able partner-in-crime, helping put the crew together, co-directing the whole plot. Helena Bonham Carter is true to type, a not-all-there fashion designer who is the central part of the plan. Anne Hathaway, as the self-obsessed celebrity being unknowingly used in the heist, brings good cheer to the film. Sarah Paulson, as a suburban middle class mom who can’t resist making an extra buck, breaks the format. Rihanna as the computer genius, hacker millennial plays the part well too. And the other girls in the gang give their predictable-but-cute Asian girl (speed smart) and Indian girl (nerdy jeweller) performances.
‘Almost unlike the Ocean series’
The movie, however, does not have the X factor that the original Ocean’s series had. While we enjoy watching the movie, we also feel that it’s not the same. Gary Ross (director) is no Steven Soderbergh. And Bullock and Blanchett don’t share the same chemistry that Clooney and Pitt gave us. There is no goofy Damon, that provided that oh-so-vital foil to the Clooney-Pitt duel. Carter provides the cuckoo-contrast to the well-dressed-and-groomed duo, but it doesn’t stick. And all the other characters end up becoming just insignificant side-kicks unlike the other characters in the Ocean’s series, who each had a distinct presence and personality (remember Don Cheadle, Bernie Mac, Andy Garcia).
Ocean’s 8 misses a youthful and mischievous, instinctive and a quirky sense of identity that is so important to the Ocean’s series.There is a missing randomness in the story-telling that made the Ocean’s series so light and effortless, never taking itself too seriously. (Remember the sequence about Clooney’s age in Ocean’s 12). Ocean’s 8, by contrast comes across as being older and more controlled, a bit more deliberate and a bit less free-spirited. Is it because women take their jobs more seriously than men?
Despite all that though, the film is very much part of the Ocean series, and considering the franchise it has to live up to, it does a fairly decent job of being a thoroughly entertaining film. And even though it is a ‘me-too’ (;), it needs to be watched for the love of the Ocean.
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