OCEAN'S 8 (Malaysia, 14 Jun 2018)

Genre: Thriller

Running Length: 1:47

Cast: Sandra Bullock, Cate Blanchett, Anne Hathaway, Helena Bonham-Carter, Sarah Paulson, Rihanna, Mindy Kaling, Awkwafina, Richard Armitage, James Corden

Director: Gary Ross

Screenplay: Gary Ross & Olivia Milch

What's this movie about?
A spinoff from the Ocean's franchise, OCEAN'S 8 is about Debbie Ocean (Bullock) and her right hand partner Lou (Blanchett) together with their motley crew attempting to pull off a heist to steal a US$150 million necklace during the glamorous annual Met Ball.

Highlights!

• The performances and interaction. It's fun to see eight talented actresses interacting through the proceedings of the film. They have great chemistry and the cast seems to be having fun making this movie! A special shout out to Anne Hathaway, one of the most underrated badass actress of her generation. 
• Stylish. Just like the original series, everything from the leads' performances to camerawork to editing oozes style. The jazzy and breezy score definitely ramps up the cool factor.  
• The final reveal. 

Lowlights

• A safe movie. As much as I enjoyed Ocean's 8, I felt it didn't take enough risk. It felt like a cash grab by the studio's male-dominated head honchos - make some quick money by switching the genders to ride on the current gender inequality movement in Hollywood. I personally feel the best example of a truly feminine movie is Wonder Woman by Patty Jenkins. It has love, strength and sensitivity. As a result, it made A LOT of money. The least they could have done here was to hire a female director.       
• Lacks tension. A memorable heist movie is defined by its edge-of-the-seat sequences but there's nothing like it here (except for one sequence). The execution part is fun to watch but it was underwhelmingly safe. Missing were moments where what was planned goes wrong and what wasn't turned out right in unexpected ways.
• The unnecessary bit at the end.  As much as I enjoyed the final reveal, the last act where James Corden's character is introduced was unnecessary. Instead of ending high, that bit caused the film to end low. 

In summary

OCEAN'S 8 is definitely from the same universe as the other Ocean’s movies. It's very watchable. It's fun, stylish and the leads are cool and confident. But I wished the filmmakers took more risk and made this film its own movie because conceptually, making an all-female version of an Ocean’s film sounded appealing.

RATING: 7.5/10

INTO THE WOODS (2015)

Genre: Musical 

Running Length: 2:05

Cast: Meryl Streep, Anna Kendrick, Emily Blunt, Chris Pine, Johnny Depp, James Corden, Lilla Crawford, Mackenzie Mauzy, Daniel Huttlestone

Director: Rob Marshall

Screenplay: James Lapine, based on the musical by Stephen Sondheim and James Lapine 

"Was that me? Yes it was. Was that him? No it wasn't. Just a trick of the woods!" sings The Baker's wife from INTO THE WOODS. 

The "woods", however, is not devious. In fact, it's neither good nor bad - it is directly influenced by those that are in it. The "woods" can also represent a reflection of sorts for those in it - it brings either the best or the worst out of a person. The movie starts out as a straight forward fairy tale movie but along the way, the smart screenplay reveals the brokenness of its characters and the "grey" world they are living in. Although positioned as a Disney musical featuring a mash up of popular fairy tale characters (from the tales of The Brothers Grimm's), the premise is actually pretty dark as it's filled with adult themes such as; sexual innuendos, infidelity and death. This stuff is not for kids. Probably there lies the problem of the movie. The adult elements are noticeably muted. A large portion of the movie is spent establishing the characters and the choices they make, while the more challenging and interesting content which deals with the consequences are rushed through. Also, the production value of this film feels cheap as most of the scenes look stage bound (yes, it's based on a Broadway musical but...). I just wonder if it would have been a more satisfying experience if it was made into a TV mini series instead, thus giving its characters more space to develop. The songs are somewhat forgettable except for one number, "Agony" sung by Chris Pine (in smug handsome scumbag mode). 

Rating: 6.5/10