Ocean’s 8

Plot Summery

Following her release from prison, Debbie Ocean, younger sister of the late Danny Ocean, meets with her former partner-in-crime Lou to convince her to join a heist that she planned while serving her sentence. Debbie and Lou assemble the rest of their team: Rose Weil, a disgraced fashion designer who is deeply in debt with the IRS; Amita, a jewelry maker and friend of Debbie’s who is eager to move out of her mother’s house and start her own life; Nine Ball, a computer hacker; Constance, a street hustler and pickpocket; and Tammy, a profiteer and another friend of Debbie’s who has been secretly selling stolen goods out of her family’s suburban home. Debbie plans to steal the Toussaint, a $150 million Cartier necklace, from the Met Gala in three-and-a-half weeks, and use Met Gala co-host Daphne Kluger, a famous actress known for her long neck, as an unwitting mule who will wear the necklace into the gala.

Ocean's 8 Trailer - 2018

Narrative and Ideology is essentially the study of stories and the societies that shape them....

Did Ocean’s 8 send Hollywood a feminist message?

Here are some paragraphs from articles that could be unpacked or included in your gender discussions for Narrative & Ideology.

The Cast in Ocean’s 8

 

Bullock remains a magnetic screen presence and she tries her darnedest with featherlight characterization but her knack for comedy is left underexplored. Like the crew members who surround her, she’s not really allowed much more depth than just her criminal skill. Everyone is defined by their job rather than their personality. Rihanna isn’t given anything interesting to do outside of her laptop, Bonham Carter is a collection of overplayed tics, Hathaway has some fun vamping it up and, regrettably, Blanchett is particularly underserved, her actions mostly perfunctory.

The Guardian Article:

Steve McQueen is currently finishing his crime thriller Widows, which sees four women (Viola Davis, Michelle Rodriguez, Elizabeth Debicki and Cynthia Erivo) plotting to finish the heist their criminal husbands were killed trying to pull off. Is it an insult or a compliment to say heists are traditionally a man’s game? They are in real life, according to the FBI’s latest statistics. It’s equally so in the movies – and when women get in on the action, they’re often amateurs or silly little girls.

The same cannot be said of Ocean’s 8. But it could still represent a leap forward in feminine felony in that these women are pros. They’re master criminals, or mistress criminals – even the terminology is gendered. Bullock may be Danny Ocean’s sister but she is clearly capable of hatching a plot of her own. And her team have the skills – forgery, hacking, deception, manipulation – to pull it off. What’s more, their plot is not just about the money; it’s about revenge and the love of the scheme. Oh, and a chance to dress up and go to the Met Gala.

“Can’t we just go to this? Do we have to steal stuff?” asks Mindy Kaling. “Yes!” the others reply. That might not be exactly what #MeToo had in mind, but in its own morally dubious way, it’s a victory for equality, isn’t it?

Well written response: By Student

The characteristics and construction of a media narrative are dependent on its media form. Describe one characteristic of a media narrative in a media form that you have studied this year.

3 marks

Media narrative: Ocean’s 8

In the text, Ocean’s 8, the director gave the audience a way to understand the meaning of the film. The American actress Sandra Bullock, was clothed and introduced to the audience in a neutral, long and thin outfit. Given her five years in prison, and audience’s expectations it is important for her character to remain calm and focused. The audience is likely to assume this film is a ‘heist’ film, from the use of setting & costume.