By Annie Jonas<\/p>\n
Who knew that alcohol-scamming, jewelry-stealing, and the power of criminal sisterhood could be so inspiring?!<\/p>\n
A few days ago, I saw Ocean\u2019s 8, and let me tell you, I have never wanted to be a pick-pocket more in my life. Seriously, Awkwafina convinced the shit out of me. There is one scene where she\u2019s in line at Subway with Sandra Bullock and Cate Blanchett, and she manages to steal not just one, but BOTH of their watches. Two watches! While ordering a turkey sandwich! That\u2019s multi-tasking at its finest, if you ask me.<\/p>\n
After re-reading my previous article on Ocean\u2019s 8<\/a>, I began to think a lot about the things that made this movie different from it\u2019s older brothers (I am referring to the Ocean\u2019s trilogy here). I realized that while there were differences, those differences did not necessarily mean \u201cgood\u201d or \u201cbad.\u201d They just meant \u201cdifferent.\u201d<\/p>\n To begin, I was surprised by the complete lack of violence in the film. I contemplated this for a long time because I wondered if the predominantly female cast dictated the extent of violence\u2013 or lack thereof. I thought about other female-lead films such as Atomic Blonde or Wonder Woman and the differences were striking. But then I began to think about the lack of violence as a statement, as a breach of what heist films are and can be. These women did not need guns or tanks to get their message across. All they needed was their intellect and careful planning (and the occasional Halal food truck turned computer hacking headquarters). Coming to that realization was refreshing, especially in a time where guns and violence infiltrate almost every aspect of our modern lives.<\/p>\n I spoke with Anto, our editor-in-chief, about the film and she made a good point about her hesitation towards the feminization of the film, specifically stating \u201cI didn\u2019t like the fact that the robbery had to be so \u2018feminine,\u2019\u201d a.k.a., at the Met Gala. This was the second major difference I noted between Ocean\u2019s 8 and the Ocean\u2019s trilogy.<\/p>\n While the trilogy focuses on the grit and sleaze of casino culture in Las Vegas, Ocean\u2019s 8 presents a more cosmopolitan, upscale, and glamorous culture of the elite. Sandra Bullock even emerges from prison in an evening gown, and then proceeds to shoplift expensive makeup from an upscale store (this was actually a very cool scene, especially for a wannabe-pick-pocketer). I agree with Anto that the film did take on an exaggerated feminization of sorts by making the heist a jewelry heist at the Met Gala. But, the film also emphasized the remarkable position women play within the world of the elite.<\/p>\n Anna Wintour, Heidi Klum, Serena Williams, and Kim Kardashian were just a few of the many cameos in the film. Regardless of the elitism, \u201cfeminization,\u201d or superficiality of the world the film presents, we cannot forget that these women are leaders of empires, queens of the fashion, social, and sports industries.<\/p>\n Ocean\u2019s 8 presents a \u201cwoman\u2019s world,\u201d so to speak, a world that is female-centric and female-dominated. The definition of \u201cpussy power\u201d sums up the film\u2019s feminine energy nicely: \u201cpower as held by women, especially seen as coming from inherently feminine qualities or from female sexual allure.\u201d It is important to see the femininity in the film as a source of power, not as a source of powerlessness.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" By Annie Jonas Who knew that alcohol-scamming, jewelry-stealing, and the power of criminal sisterhood could be so inspiring?! A few days ago, I saw Ocean\u2019s 8, and let me tell you, I have never wanted to be a pick-pocket more in my life. Seriously, Awkwafina convinced the shit out of me. There is one scene … Continue reading Ocean\u2019s 8 Review<\/span>