New Release Birb: Ocean's 8

Ocean's 8
Starring: Sandra Bullock, Cate Blanchett, and Anne Hathaway
Co-Written and Directed by Gary Ross
US Release Date: June 8th, 2018
My First Viewing: June 7th, 2018

Sandra Bullock and Cate Blanchett lead an ensemble cast in Gary Ross' Ocean's 8, which is the first in the franchise since 2007's Ocean's Thirteen.

Bullock plays Debbie Ocean, the sister of George Clooney's Danny Ocean who we learn in the first five minutes of the movie has passed away. Debbie (much like Danny in Ocean's 11) has spent the last five year's in jail and is out on parole. Blanchett plays Lou, Debbie's former partner in crime. As soon as Debbie gets out, she has a plan to make pull off a heist to steal a Cartier diamond necklace from actress Daphne Kluger (Anne Hathaway) while she attends the Met Gala.

This is an okay film that would have been better without the Ocean's name tagged to it. You could have made a fun, female-led heist film without having to resort to having to hinge your box office bets on already existing IP. Going in expecting it to be just like the previous Ocean's movies, you end up missing a lot of the humor and sleekness that came with Steven Soderbergh's versions. Elliott Gould and Shaobo Qin make gratuitous cameos to remind us that this is, in fact, an Ocean's movie, which could have been erased from the film and no one would be the wiser. Call it, and Debbie, by any other name, and you could have had more freedom to make this a lot more interesting.

That being said, I did enjoy the film as a whole, with the chemistry of the ensemble making this a moderately enjoyable ride. Helena Bonham-Carter as the quirky fashion designer Rose Wiel, Rihanna as hacker Nine-Ball, and Sarah Paulson as the straight-laced Tammy are the standout performances to watch for.

Ocean's 8 is rated PG-13 for language, drug use, and suggestive content. What were your thoughts on the film? Follow me on facebook and instagram and let me know what you think.
-birb

Comments

Best Picture Birb- Lady Bird

Lady Bird Starring: Saoirse Ronan and Laurie Metcalf Written and Directed by Greta Gerwig US Release Date: November 3rd, 2017 Most Recent Viewing: March 3rd, 2018 Image Credit: movieposter.com Nominated for five Academy Awards, including Best Actress (Saoirse Ronan) and Best Picture, Lady Bird is the directorial debut of indy favorite Greta Gerwig, who also received nominations for Best Director and Best Original Screenplay. Set in Sacramento, California in 2002-2003, Lady Bird is a coming-of-age film of self-discovery and the family dynamic bond between Christine "Lady Bird" McPherson and her mother Marion (played by Best Supporting Actress nominee Laurie Metcalf). Lady Bird is confident, knows what she wants, and isn't afraid to voice her opinion, which sounds a lot like most seventeen-year-olds. Between her Catholic high school career coming to an end, her want to get out of Sacramento, and her friendships and relationships all swirling around her, it'...

New Release Birb- The Strangers: Prey at Night

The Strangers: Prey at Night Starring: Bailee Madison and Christina Hendricks Directed by Johannes Roberts US Release Date: March 9th, 2018 My First Viewing: March 8th, 2018 image credit: imdb.com Ten years after the release of The Strangers (starring Liv Tyler and Scott Speedman), The Man in the Mask, Dollface, and Pin-Up Girl are back in The Strangers: Prey at Night. In an unknown timeframe after the events of the first Strangers, we see at the beginning of the film picking off an older couple. While making a trip to drop their daughter off at boarding school, Cindy (Christina Hendricks), Mike (Martin Henderson), and their kids Kinsey (Bailee Madison) and Luke (Lewis Pullman) stop by a family members trailer park, where they are soon terrorized by the three masked murderers. The reason the trio is going after them, much like in the first film, was because they were there. There are some fun callbacks to the first film, and some of the scares were earne...

Best Picture Birb- The Post

The Post Starring: Meryl Streep and Tom Hanks Directed by Steven Spielberg US Release Date: December 22nd, 2017 Most Recent Viewing: March 3rd, 2018 Image Credit: movieposter.com Nominated for two Academy Awards (Best Actress- Meryl Streep and Best Picture), The Post tells the story of the Washington Post and their handling of The Pentagon Papers, confidential information on the United States actions in the Vietnam War that spanned over five different presidential reigns. Streep and Hanks are plastered all over the advertising as the leads, Streep playing Post owner Kay Graham, who takes over the family business after her husband's death. Streep is predictably good in this role, showing her evolution from quiet background player to a presence. Hanks plays editor-in-chief Ben Bradlee, who is headstrong in the Post's First Amendment rights of freedom of the press, pushing hard to be able to publish the story even with the Nixon administration doing what they can to b...

Random Movie Birb

Search This Blog