22 Feb Oceans Eight (2018)

Poor Planning

So the overarching narrative here is that our scam artist planned this to the last detail while in the slammer. With the main trilogy, we never know, but the impression is that Danny and co agily adjust as difficulties and exceptions appear. The fun is partly in discovering the plan after it has occurred and partly in seeing how they adjust. That formula has worked since ‘The Sting’.

Here, they cheat. Danny’s sister says she had the entire plan, but first how can anyone believe that Sandra’s character could ever be that skilled? She’s just too lightweight an actress to convey this mastery of the world and film.

We do have two twists. One is that Hathaway’s character gets included. The other is that many jewels were heisted. But I can’t believe be it. They gave no warning. They gave no hint.

These are a gang of women. Why women? In the story we have a thin reason but clearly so we can have a gang of women. But the grand reveal shows the most important member is a guy. Later, in ‘Gravity’ we see Sandra come face to face with Clooney and there is no world that these two can share. She’s an icon of weakness.

And that moved us to the basic tenor of the thing. The guy trilogy has male stereotypes below the line. They are all made fun of. This girly dynamic is clearly written by a guy so first we have no playing with stereotypes. The tech slot is played genderless in essence. The agile hands as well. Only the fence has some sort of mommy and hidden wife thing going on which could have struck truth. But she simply turns into the resource guy.

Posted in 2023

Ted’s Evaluation — 1 of 3: You can find something better to do with this part of your life.

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