Ocean's 8 Movie Review - A trifling but fun heist caper

Ocean's 8

Ocean's 8
U/A: Crime action
Director: Gary Ross
Cast: Sandra Bullock, Cate Blanchett, Anne Hathaway, Rihanna, Helena Bonham Carter
Rating:

Director Gary Ross' attempt to do a Steven Soderberg with an all-female lead cast has its merits and demerits. The cast, a formidable who's who consisting largely of Hollywood A-listers is the scrumptious icing on a rather lame, generic cake that looks to the successful cult franchise for its rather meager thrills.

An all-too-obvious heist flick, with its machinations signaling crime as an art form of sorts, this caper basically gives the marauding women something less brawny to contend with. There's a lot more artistry involved in stealing an antiquated one-of-a-kind, $150 million diamond-encrusted Cartier necklace than in robbing a bank( which the women themselves discount as an option) for sure. The robbery takes place at The Met Gala, the annual fashion extravaganza at New York's Metropolitan Museum of Art.

Director and co-writer Gary Ross ply on thick - slickness and glamour in merry measure. Underlining the caper histrionics with female connivance, meticulous planning and bonding, Ross hopes to make it a steady run to a full house But everything looks a little too easy and even Bullock's character Debbie Ocean's attempt to brush aside the lack of men in the caper with an "A 'him' gets noticed. A 'her' gets ignored," doesn't quite hit the nail on the head- especially when the screen is chock-o-block with beauteous women in their dazzling gowns and blinding accessories. Even the men who act as arm candy, notably, Richard Armitage as a high-end art dealer Claude Becker and play the role of an insurance investigator ( James Corden) get lost in the stunning array of Glitz and Glam.

The costume work by Sarah Edwards, who worked with top designers including Valentino, Dolce & Gabbana, Naeem Khan, and Zac Posen to create the stunning gowns - including Bullock's scene-stealing black-and-metallic Alberta Ferretti dress and Blanchett's beaded Givenchy jumpsuit, is simply fabulous. Blanchett, Bullock, Mindy Kaling as Amita-an Indian origin jeweler, Rihanna, Helena Bonham Carter, Sarah Paulson, Awkwafina, Dakota Fanning- all make a resplendent splash with their charismatic presence.

Watch Ocean's 8 Trailer

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