'Ocean's 8': The women are good but the plot lacks the thrills
The heist movie thrills and entertains in parts
Somewhere at the beginning of 'Ocean's 8', Cate Blanchett's character Lou suggest Debbie Ocean(Sandra Bullock) to hire a few men to carry out the heist that the two are elaborately planning. As Debbie refuses, Lou ask, 'Why not?' 'I don't want him. A 'him' gets interest, a 'her' gets ignored. And for a change I'd want that,'replied Debbie. The line sort of sets the tone of the film and makes a strong message in the ongoing #TimesUp movement.
Debbie Ocean, after being in jail for 5 long years, is out on parole. And while she promises the authorities to be a good girl, she does the exact opposite. Debbie is Danny Ocean's sister, and conning people comes naturally to her much like the rest of her. So she plans to pull off one of the biggest heist in history with the help of some women - not men- and seek her revenge as well from an old contact. Along with her partner-in-crime Lou, Debbie goes around hiring some very smart and bit suspicious type of women. The crew comprises of a bored housewife who is also a hoarder(Sarah Paulson), a jeweler who wants to be away from her domineering mum(Mindy Kaling), a trickster from the streets(Awkwafina), a pot-head hacker(Rihanna), a has-been fashion designer (Helena Bonham Carter) and of course her partner in crime Lou, the biker girl. Together they plan to steal a very expensive peice of jewellery which will adorn an actress/socialite's (Anne Hathaway) neck as she walks the red carpet at the annual Met Gala.
The first half, as Debbie and Lou, go around the city recruiting their team members is uninspiring and boring. You know that for a con to go perfect, you need certain typical characters and 'Ocean's 8' sticks to that framework. Things pick up only in second half of the film, where the team lands up at the Met Gala. There are lot celebrity cameos in the film, playing themselves as they sashay down the red carpet. The real fun and action begin as the team, stealthily and smoothly carries out the perfect heist.
Sure it delivers a punch with its underlying revenge saga, it also entertains in parts, but the overall plot is same old. The gimmicks and the tricks aren't that new either. And you know how the film will end. The thrill and the anticipation that should come while watching a heist drama is very low in this one. And it's not because of the actors, the film slackens because of lazy writing and director Gary Ross' inability to innovate and think out of the box.
It doesn't make for a bad watch but when you have Blanchett, Bullock, Carter and Hathaway sharing screen space in a film, you expect fireworks. Ocean's 8, instead gives a very lukewarm film with sparkles in parts.
