Ocean's 8: Genderflipping Done Right

Originally written 6/17/2018.

If the point of 2016’s gender-flipped 'Ghostbusters' reboot was to prove that an all-female cast can carry the legacy of a franchise, then 'Ocean’s Eight' is determined to take it a step further and demonstrate that, in certain instances, letting woman headline your traditionally masculine movie can actually improve it. And if that is its task, then call up an aircraft carrier and George W. Bush because we finally have an appropriate time to wave that stupid ‘Mission Accomplished’ banner.

The story is as cookie cutter as any famous heist movie, but so were the stories of Steven Soderbergh’s 'Ocean’s Eleven-Thirteen' and those movies ranged from pretty good to fantastic. Inciting incident: Debbie Ocean (Sandra Bullock), sister to previous series protagonist Danny, is released from prison after being set up by her ex-boyfriend five years ago. She’s spent her time in incarceration planning the most lucrative jewel heist in history. It just so happens to involve teaming up with some of her old con buddies and requires the recruitment of a few new criminals. With the help of her best friend Lou (Cate Blanchett), she assembles her team consisting of skittish jewel appraiser Amita (Mindy Kaling), desperate fashion designer Rose (Helena Bonham Carter), fence-turned-housewife Tammy (Sarah Paulson), chilled-out hacker Nine-Ball (Rihanna), and street-wise pickpocket Constance (Awkwafina). Their target: a legendary diamond necklace that they plan to steal at the New York Met Gala from around the neck of ditzy starlet Daphne Kluger (Anne Hathaway).

From there, it’s a romp through the typical heist movie exploits. Thing get prickly when it’s revealed that Debbie might have a more personal reason for the heist, something goes wrong halfway through the job itself and they have to improvise, and everything is done to a smooth and quick jazz score. Because of the location and premise, they also manage to naturally fit in a fair number of celebrity cameos from fashion moguls like Kim Kardashian and Heidi Klum and even the iconic Anna Wintour herself.

The general idea behind the film’s gender inversion is the conceit that, as women in a fashion-based setting, the crew can easily hide in plain sight as the decorations that they’re already perceived to be. It’s an interesting theme and is accentuated by every actor playing hard into their stereotypes. Debbie is the manipulative leader, Lou is the unflinching muscle, Amita and Tammy are both the criminals with hearts of gold, and Nine-Ball and Constance are the misunderstood street-level con artist. Daphne especially is a caricature of vapid Hollywood airheads. The only character not actively subscribing to an archetype is Rose and that’s mostly because she’s played by Helena Bonham Carter and why on Earth would you waste her talents by simplifying her role?

Speaking of which, the acting is good across the board. These are all professionals who saw the loose script and open lines and realized what an opportunity this could be for them to cut some slack and give unrestrained performances. Even Rihanna, who’s previous acting exploits were mediocre at best, puts on a brave face and holds her own while sharing the screen with modern Hollywood royalty. Rapper and hip-hop artist Awkwafina has been having trouble getting her feet under her in the movie business, but if this is the rock she uses as her launching point then it’ll be worthwhile to follow her career track. She’s proven her seemingly natural gift for comic timing and here gives an off-kilter but tonally-sound performance reminiscent of an 'Office'-era Mindy Kaling, who she fittingly has the most screen chemistry with.

Smaller roles are all done suitably. James Corden is enjoyably hammy as an insurance fraud detective, Richard Armitage is Debbie’s eye-candy and true target, and it’s genuinely nostalgic to see what members of the previous 'Ocean’s' movies they got to come back and reprise their now-decades old roles. But nobody walks away from this movie with their head held higher than Hathaway. Every second she’s onscreen is an absolute delight largely because she looks like she’s having so much fun in a role that she was almost born to play. As Daphne Kluger, she gets to embody every empty and baseless stereotype that the Hollywood gossip scene has had almost twenty years to paint her as before turning around and confronting her undeserved haters with a statement as emphatic as the Fearless Girl statue. It’s a role that could only be played by someone who could relate to character’s plight personally and Hathaway exploits every frame.

The film is written and directed by Gary Ross, a niche artist best known for penning 'Big' and 'Pleasantville' and directing the first (and only good) 'Hunger Games' movie. He’s nothing if not a man who knows his artistic limitations and, while he makes an effort to emulate Soderbergh’s style and visual format, he doesn’t overdo it to the point where he’d feel like a copycat. In fact, Soderbergh is the film’s producer and apparently gave Ross his blessing to reinterpret his cinematography. Combined, they give the film a chance to be its own project while still getting the cinematic support of its predecessors. It’s a healthy mix that results in the film having a fair amount of breathing room. It never feels outpaced or too fast.

There are, of course, a few nitpicks and problems with the film, but to delve into them here would rob the movie of the surprises it gets through the surprisingly unrestricted heist movie formula. The only criticisms that hold any significant weight would be that the third act drags a bit more than it should, one of the cameos is a distracting plot contrivance, and while the theme being presented is interesting nothing is really done with or explored by it. Suffice to say, the film is worth your time and, since apparently nobody bothered to see Soderbergh’s excellent 'Logan Lucky' last year, is the heir apparent to one of the best heist film franchises of all time. Here’s hoping that the next iteration of this concept comes in the form of yet another 'Thomas Crown Affair' remake with a black protagonist. What’s that? They’re making that? With Michael B. Jordan! Hot damn what a time to be alive! 4/5.

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