Ocean's Eight
(2018)Every con has its pros.
All-female spin-off of the Ocean's Trilogy, directed by four-time Oscar-nominee Gary Ross. Stars Sandra Bullock, Cate Blanchett, Anne Hathaway, Helena Bonham Carter and Rihanna.... More
Danny Ocean's (George Clooney) estranged sister Debbie (Bullock) attempts to pull off the heist of the century at New York City’s star-studded annual Met Gala. Her first stop is to assemble the perfect crew: Lou (Blanchett), Rose (Bonham Carter), Daphne Kluger (Hathaway), Nine Ball (Rihanna), Tammy (Sara Paulson), Amita (Mindy Kaling), and Constance (Awkwafina).Hide
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Directed by Gary Ross ('Free State of Jones', 'The Hunger Games', 'Seabiscuit')
Starring Sandra Bullock, Cate Blanchett, Helena Bonham Carter, Anne Hathaway, Sarah Paulson, Rihanna, Mindy Kaling, Awkwafina, Dakota Fanning, Damian Lewis, Richard Armitage, Matt Damon
Written by Olivia Milch, Gary Ross
Flicks Review
BY Amanda Robinson Flicks Writer
Never capturing the sleek cool of the original trilogy, Ocean’s Eight is a dull film rescued by an ensemble of excellent women. The film opens with Debbie Ocean (Sandra Bullock), the younger sister of George Clooney’s Danny from the original trilogy, newly released from five years in prison, conning her way into a new wardrobe from Bergdorf’s and a room at a luxury hotel. The confidence and elegance with which she pulls off these low-level scams is a thrill to watch and sets an electric anticipation of what’s to come. However, this anticipation is never quite lived up to.... More
During her incarceration, Debbie crafted the perfect heist; stealing a $150 million diamond Cartier necklace from the neck of glamorous actress Daphne Kruger (Anne Hathaway) during the annual Met Gala. As relentlessly marketed, Bullock assembles an all-female crew to carry out the scheme, made up of Cate Blanchett, Rihanna, Awkwafina, Sarah Paulson, Mindy Kaling, and Helena Bonham-Carter. It stuns how a director could waste so much talent of such a high calibre, and yet The Hunger Games director Gary Ross somehow pulls it off.
None of the slick production present in Soderbergh’s trilogy makes it to this spin-off, and even the majority of the costumes aren’t especially interesting. Rihanna is criminally under-utilised, and Cate Blanchett has little material as interesting as her Soderbergh equivalent, Brad Pitt. Bizarrely, James Corden, of all people, has the best one-liners in his role as an insurance detective.
That said, the film has its moments. Cate Blanchett eating off Sandra Bullock’s fork is excellent, Awkwafina stands out as the crew’s resident artful dodger, and Anne Hathaway is just a delight. There are a handful of charming cameos, and the cast plays off each other with expert skill. All in all, Ocean’s Eight is a fine, fun film. It’s just that it should have been so much better.Hide
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Ocean's Eight
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The Press Reviews
The choreography of the scam is almost upstaged by the gang's costume changes. They're spectacular. Full Review
Resisting its mischievous spirit is simply impossible. How often is a group of skilled women allowed to be bad? Full Review
Entirely enjoyable and worthy, but one can't help but wonder what a stronger vision behind the camera may have produced. Full Review
It's savvy enough to recognise that politics and pulchritude make excellent bedfellows. Full Review
It's made watchable thanks to the cast but star power alone cannot mask creative inadequacy. Stealing a diamond necklace is bad but wasting an opportunity like this is unforgivable. Full Review
It lacks the jazzy swagger of Soderbergh's trio but delivers a fun, likeable romp built on the charm and charisma of its cast. Full Review
A lot of this is fun to watch but would have been more breezily enjoyable if the movie played as lightly (and seriously) with gender as much as it does with genre. Full Review
There's...something dispiritingly mechanical about the movie that makes it seem a missed opportunity. Full Review
"Ocean's 8" is a casually winning heist movie, no more and no less, but like countless films devoted to the exploits of cool male criminals, it lingers most...as a proudly scurrilous gallery of role models. Full Review
There are some moments of clever misdirection, last-minute hitches and double-crossing, no little art amongst the cinematography and editing and a terrific performance from Hathaway. Full Review
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