Ocean's 8: Delinquency in Prosperity

by Rakan 

Lavish. Crime. Sly. Three words that perfectly describe Ocean’s 8. Directed by Gary Ross in 2018, Ocean’s 8 is a thriller comedy movie that will surely stir up your mood while watching it. While it’s entertaining and amusing, it is labeled PG-13 due to some vandalism and drug scenes. 

Surfing back through time when I first watched Ocean’s 8 at the local cinema, I was truly intrigued by the visualization which the movie flyer offered, and one thing that immediately came up into my mind was that the movie would merely deliver intense crime scenes, and that’s that. It turned out wrong, and I found myself enjoying every scene throughout the movie. 

Before jumping deeper into the full review and analysis, I will try to summarize the whole substance of the movie into a passage that we can see below. 

OCEAN’S 8 SUMMARY 

Debbie Ocean, a former prisoner, has been released after her long period of sentence. It is informed that she was imprisoned for embezzling a huge amount of money in gambling together with her ex-boyfriend, Claude Becker. Fortune was not on Debbie’s side, because

she was the only one who was imprisoned and suffered the misery of being abandoned by the person that she loves, or loved, to be precise. 

Debbie’s release from prison is a sign that she is now capable of doing everything she wants without any limitations, including vengeance. The wound Claude had inflicted on her is too deep, and she thought that delivering some clap back to her ‘former partner’ would be a nice thing to do. 

Alongside her best friend, Lou, Debbie parts her revenge plan in detail, sequentially. She plans on making the Met Gala, the annual prestigious fashion show which takes place in New York, her location to perform the ‘sacred’ action a.k.a. theft. To achieve this mission successfully, she needs more partners with certain skills and backgrounds who can synergize in harmony. 

Thanks to Lou and her connection, they have successfully gathered five skilled women (yes, they only accept women due to personal reasons, if you’re wondering). Hereafter, they started preparing for the big day, starting by hacking the Met Gala security system, disguising themselves as waiters and guests of honor, and poisoning specific targets. These actions are being prepared to prevent any flaws while the grand theft is being executed. As additional information, Claude will be the scapegoat for one of the most horrendous theft cases in history. 

Here comes the big questions. Does Debbie really want to do it? Is it just a momentary rage? Will she and her partners successfully throw Claude in jail? 

OCEAN’S 8 CAST

If you’re someone who is familiar with Hollywood celebrities, you will immediately recognize the faces of the casts who play Ocean’s 8. Sandra Bullock, Cate Blanchett, Anne Hathaway, and many more famous stars. Sandra Bullock plays Debbie Ocean, the former prisoner who wishes to get her revenge on her ex-boyfriend. Her persona suits the character image excellently, always calm and collected, yet aims at her target carefully. Throughout the movie, I certainly can sense how perfectly Sandra portrays Debbie’s personality. The same thing goes with Cate and Anne, but only one cast takes the crown, at least for me. She’s Helena Bonham Carter.

Helena undoubtedly stands out with her character. Acted as a mad designer who is in debt for nearly $50 million due to her incapability of managing her own finance, she successfully portrays various convincing expressions, such as despair and despondency. I can feel the emotions she’s showing as I’m watching her scene. Observing her act throughout the whole movie is satisfying if I can say. 

The excellence in her acting is probably gained from her experience. I think we all know that Helena is a top-tier actress who has starred in numerous box office movies, such as Charlie and the Chocolate Factory, Alice in Wonderland, Cinderella, Alice Through the Looking Glass, and Enola Holmes. Fun fact, Helena and Anne reunite here in Ocean’s 8, knowing they have acted together in Alice in Wonderland and Alice Through the Looking Glass before. Her versatility in acting is something unique about her, and I truly appreciate her for that. 

For those who aren’t familiar with Met Gala, Met Gala is an annual prestigious fashion exhibition that takes place at The Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York, and yes, Met

Gala is a real-life event, not fiction. The museum itself contains valuable masterpieces that come from different backgrounds and are formed in various shapes. You will be able to see ancient statues, European-style paintings, and rare items if you pay a visit here. 

One thing that caught my attention during the Met Gala scene in Ocean’s 8 is the appearance of The Kardashians, specifically Kim Kardashian, Kendall Jenner, and Kylie Jenner. Though it is only a cameo appearance. 

Other celebrities such as Gigi Hadid, Heidi Klum, Serena Williams, and Katie Holmes also participated in the cameo appearance, but in a different scene. Truly unfortunate that they didn’t happen to say a word or two. 

OCEAN’S 8 REVIEW 

Watching Ocean’s 8 was something I didn’t regret doing. In fact, I still felt the thrill and excitement even after I had left the theatre. My friend who accompanied me watching felt the excitement as well. 

Great storyline? Check. Mesmerizing act? Check. Astonishing set and costume? Check. Not only lavish and crime, but Ocean’s 8 also promotes teamwork and peculiar strategy planning, which I can guarantee you, will blow your mind. I’m also amazed that the director was able to invite and gather a lot of top celebrities to participate and take a role in Ocean’s 8, that’s surely not an easy job to do. The properties were also extraordinary. Real diamonds are being used to support the whole movie, shoutout to Cartier.

However, the ending is quite odd to me. It is informed at the beginning of the movie that Debbie’s late brother, Danny Ocean, has passed away. Debbie visits him at an unknown crematorium and speaks two words, and that’s that. I was like, what is going on here? But it ended there, and it made me question a few things regarding the closure. I personally expected a more climax, satisfying ending. Perhaps the director wanted to make a sequel for the movie? Or Ocean’s 8 is actually a part of a trilogy? I don’t know for sure. 

CONCLUSION 

Coming from my glasses, I would give Ocean’s 8 an 8.5 out of 10. Gary Ross did a great job directing this movie. This is the type of movie that you can watch with your friends or relatives anytime you want. During your leisure, when you’re stress or under pressure, anytime. It’s light, but definitely has ‘substances’. There is surely room for improvement for the movie, due to some minor flaws. But overall, it’s still at an acceptable rate and entertaining. I would highly recommend Ocean’s 8 for you when you have time or you’re just bored, but if you’re looking for a serious-intense-thrilling movie, then it’s probably not for you. 

Thank you for reading my article! It was written by me, Rakan, a movie reviewer in Indonesia, and I upload occasionally on fuselinecinema.com (it’s in Japanese though)