Ocean's 8 - The Summer Movie We All Needed
Humanity is full of jaded, cynical people. People who judge movies and other forms of entertainment and find them lacking even before they necessarily watch it for themselves. And yet, sometimes there are movies that are just silly, fun and that even a cynical person like myself roots for, and wants to win. For me, this summer that move is Ocean’s 8.
By my taxonomy of movies, the film is a no-pressure “see in the theaters” film destined to become a “Sunday Afternoon” flick. And I mean that in the best possible way. There are a few surprises, and some surprisingly good acting in this film, but at the end of the day it is a fun, fun romp. Watching it was utterly delightful for me, from the reasons you can figure out from the trailer but also for some other reasons.
The Characters Don’t Matter
I mean, they do in the sense of moving things forward but at the same time I had no idea what the character names of nearly everyone even 2/3rds of the way through the movie. It was all “OMG Mindy Kaling!” “OMG Rihanna!” “OMG Awkwafina!” and even "OMG James Corden!" And when the film got to the Met ball the game really was “spot the celebrity.” But at the same time, that’s the point of a movie like this. I have no idea the names of anyone of the characters in the 2001 Ocean’s 11 either. George Clooney is Danny Ocean and that’s about it. But I know Brad Pitt, Matt Damon, and Julia Roberts are in there. Neither movie is about the characters, they are about the actors being fabulous while pretending to be criminals.
I Want Awkwafina to be my New Best Friend
I mean, for someone who has very little screen time, the woman steals every scene she’s in. Whether it’s asking Debbie Ocean (aka Sandra Bullock) for a MetroCard, teaching Mindy how to use Tinder, or literally stealing everyone’s watches, she is a complete and utter delight to watch. And the end scene with her is hilarious. To be perfectly honest, I want to watch Crazy Rich Asians when it comes out now just because she’s in it. That is some serious star power.
Sometimes You Just Need to Watch Women be Awesome
And that, much like the original Ocean’s 11, is what this movie is about. There are no real moral issues. The main characters are stealing from the 1% so no one feels bad for the victims. And unlike with superhero movies, the unintentional damage is extremely minimal. So you see bad-ass women being awesome and looking fabulous while they commit a crime that harms only insanely rich people. Everyone wins.
No But Seriously, Everyone Looks Fabulous
Not technically in every scene. But Cate Blanchett in tailored suits and leather pants, Rihanna in overalls and looking like a Rastafarian (although, lets be honest, Rihanna could look perfect in anything), and Helena Bonham Carter looking wacky and beautiful outside of a Tim Burton movie, are all just so much fun to see. Film is, by definition, a visual media. And the outfits alone make this film fun to watch.
At the end of the day this movie is just stylish fun with women you kinda wish you knew or were friends with. There is a little something for everyone without feeling pandering because the whole movie is just Hollywood fun. If you’re having fun, it’s doing it right. And that’s exactly what we need out of a summer movie sometimes.
