{"id":332,"date":"2018-06-15T01:38:20","date_gmt":"2018-06-15T01:38:20","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/blog.granitecitynow.com\/?p=332"},"modified":"2018-08-09T15:44:54","modified_gmt":"2018-08-09T15:44:54","slug":"oceans-8","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"http:\/\/blog.granitecitynow.com\/?p=332","title":{"rendered":"Ocean’s 8"},"content":{"rendered":"

\"\"<\/a>\u201cYou are not doing this for me. You are not doing this for you. Somewhere out there is an 8-year-old girl, lying in bed, dreaming of becoming a criminal. Let\u2019s do this for her<\/em>.\u201d<\/p>\n

That Debbie Ocean (Sandra Bullock \u2013 whom my friend Kate praised at the start of this flick by exclaiming, \u201cShe\u2019s in her (effin\u2019)\u00a0fifties<\/em>, and she looks like that!\u201d) sure knows how to give a pep talk.<\/p>\n

The estranged sister of known thief Danny Ocean (George Clooney, who of course called the shots in three previous \u201cOcean\u2019s\u201d movies) calmly delivers this tongue-in-cheek mission statement to her strong and more-than-capable posse before attempting \u201cone of the biggest jewelry heists in history,\u201d setting the wheels in motion for the latest in the numbered \u201cOcean\u2019s\u201d series, \u201cOcean\u2019s 8.\u201d<\/p>\n

This time the prize is \u201cbig \u2018ol dangly Liz Taylor jewels\u201d that have been locked up underground for 50 years.<\/p>\n

And Debbie\u2019s had some time \u2013 \u201cfive years, eight months and 12 days, give or take\u201d \u2013 to consider and concoct her perfect plan: to rob the Met Gala.<\/p>\n

For snobs who care, it\u2019s \u201cGAL-uh,\u201d not \u201cGAY-luh.\u201d<\/p>\n

To help with the job, Debbie carefully assembles a crack team of ladies, including her ex, Lou (Cate Blanchett); jewelry maker Amita (Mindy Kaling); computer hacker extraordinaire Nine Ball (Rihanna, not bad!); Constance (Awkwafina, an absolute delight), a quirky street hustler and wily pickpocket; conventionally unconventional mom Tammy (Sarah Paulson); and Rose Weil (Helena Bonham Carter), whose fashion-designer image is tarnished and who\u2019s up to her wide, ditzy eyes in debt.<\/p>\n

But this scheme over which they\u2019re all sophisticatedly salivating isn\u2019t without its glitches \u2013 because what\u2019s the fun in that?<\/p>\n

Bullock always is a favorite and seems to be having an effortless blast here. And really, all<\/em> of these ladies are fantastic, each complementing the group in her own way.<\/p>\n

I love that these characters are so focused and crafty and acutely dominant, that they\u2019re always seemingly one step ahead while delicately making most of the fellas look like boobs.<\/p>\n

One exception is James Corden as Insurance Investigator John Frazier. His fast-talking, I\u2019ve-seen-this-shit-before attitude is pure gold.<\/p>\n

Keeping with the stylized \u201cOcean\u2019s\u201d tradition, director Gary Ross (\u201cPleasantville\u201d) uses a slew of funky and whimsical transitions \u2013 some of which use visual elements from one scene to cross over to the next, such as showing a close up of clothes hangers sliding along a closet rod as a way to guide the next scene into place.<\/p>\n

Or having tiles of images flip onscreen like falling dominos, one section at a time, as the action changes settings.<\/p>\n

Or showing the picture shifting like a slide puzzle, alternately appearing from the top or bottom of the screen and coming together to bring about a complete, new scene.<\/p>\n

And then there\u2019s that music \u2013 so consistent and heisty, like the \u201cPink Panther\u201d theme, without the familiarity. You know what I mean.<\/p>\n

I noticed on several occasions the use of mirrors or reflective surfaces, which I initially thought was simply a clever and artsy way to simultaneously show action from wholly different vantage points. And it totally is.<\/p>\n

But then<\/em> I realized it\u2019s also a deceptively sneaky technique to almost offer too<\/em> much<\/em> to look at, thereby causing distractions and allowing for unpredictability while we\u2019re busy looking in the wrong direction.<\/p>\n

Wink. So smart!<\/p>\n

\u201cOcean\u2019s 8\u201d definitely has a lot going on. There are some surprises and hearty chuckles, and while it\u2019s not overly suspenseful it\u2019s still a thoroughly engaging and oh-so-fun chapter in the \u201cOcean\u2019s\u201d storybook.<\/p>\n

You have just enjoyed the insights of Movie Addict Mel, a cinema dork and conversational writer. Follow her on Twitter\u00a0@movieaddictmel<\/a>, and \u201clike\u201d her Facebook page\u00a0www.facebook.com\/movieaddictmel<\/a><\/em>. You also can email her at movieaddictmel@outlook.com<\/em>.<\/p>\n