Ocean’s 8

Although the highly-anticipated Ocean’s 8 hit theaters in June, sometimes my small town doesn’t get every movie or the movie doesn’t stay in the theater long enough to see it. Last night, thanks to OnDemand, I finally had the opportunity to watch the “female version” of the Ocean’s Eleven trilogy and it was a lot of fun.

Because several months have passed since the movie’s release, I’m not going to write a review. I assume most people probably know a lot about the movie and/or have already seen it. But I do have some notes and observations I’d like to share:

• A big deal was made about this being the “female version” of the Ocean’s franchise which I find interesting because I never focused on Ocean’s Eleven being all about men. It’s didn’t matter to me as a viewer.
• I like that 8 is both a spinoff and a continuation – in terms of storytelling that can be tough to pull off but Gary Ross and Steven Soderbergh made it happen.
• The women in this cast are phenomenal – both the actresses themselves and the characters they play. Each one is cool, calm, composed, collected, and captivating.
• This might be a result of what I do for a living, but I think it’s fascinating that the Ocean’s Eleven, Twelve, and Thirteen titles are all written out while this movie is always written with the number 8. #grammarnerd
• Holy cameos! Famous people are everywhere but the appearances aren’t gratuitous. Seeing all that start wattage makes sense as the film culminates at one of the most prestigious events of the year – New York City’s annual Met Gala.
• One of the aspects I enjoyed most about Eleven was the snappy dialogue which is also present in 8 but not to the same degree. I definitely wish there was more.
• Fashion is without a doubt another character in this film – the couture is colorful eye candy thoughtfully chosen for each lady.
• Every good heist movie exudes style – cool cars, expensive martinis, high-tech gadgets, and lots of glamour – and 8 is no exception. Just as it should be. Stealing a large diamond necklace from a Cartier vault versus cash from three casinos? Just as rad.
• I’ve always been a Sandra Bullock fan but Anne Hathaway and Helena Bonham Carter (who is usually not my favorite) stole (see what I did there) this movie.
• From the beginning of the movie, I wanted more from Cate Blanchett’s character. Brad Pitt was such an entertaining partner/sidekick to George Clooney and I found myself looking for more of that banter.
• Ocean’s Eleven raked in $450 million in 2001 while Ocean’s 8 pulled in $295.5 million in 2018. I wonder what would have happened if the release dates hadn’t been seventeen years apart.