Ocean's Eight (2018)

Directed by Gary Ross

Screenplay written by Olivia Milch and Gary Ross

Starring Sandra Bullock, Cate Blanchett, Anne Hathaway and Mindy Kaling 

An all female spin-off of the original Ocean's heist movies-- how could it get better than that? I loved the idea of this considering how much I enjoyed the original Ocean's Eleven. The a-listers they casted drew me in initially, the story of a gang of bad-ass women pulling off a huge heist starring eight of your favorite actresses? Sign me up!

Debby Ocean (Sandra Bullock), the younger sister of Danny Ocean, is freshly out of prison and has the idea for a diabolically brilliant heist that is five years in the making. She is going to convince Cartier to lend a $150 million diamond necklace to a hot-headed actress, Daphne Kluger (Anne Hathaway) for the annual Met Gala, where she will steal the necklace off the actresses neck. To pull this off, she recruits the help of a highly skilled team of women (including Cate Blanchett, Mindy Kaling, Sarah Paulson, Awkwafina, Rihanna and Helena Bonham Carter). 

Aside from one big surprise towards the end of the movie, the heist seems to predictable and easy. The idea of stealing an ancient necklace off the neck of a vein actress at the Met Gala is very original and seems like it is going to be a challenge, but the women never really run into any problems. Maybe thats the point? They're so devilishly good at pulling off heists. It just doesn't lead to any real plot twists or major dilemmas, which is what Ocean's Eight was lacking. 

The performances weren't all shining considering the amazing line-up of women they got to fill the eight slots. I honestly forgot to even add Rihanna's name above at first, if that is a testament to the acting performances. I love Sandra Bullock, but her role was a little flat in this movie. She didn't have much going for her as far as emotions go. Most of the women were just heist movie stereotypes- the gadget girl, the mastermind, the sly and sneaky one. Helena Bonham Carter was my favorite performance of the bunch, as the wacky fashion designer. She often was stealing the show when she was on screen. Hathaway did a good job playing a vein actress which makes you ask if that's just her actual personality? Let's hope not. 

Despite the lack of nail-biting tension from the heist, it does keep you interested and wanting to find out how it gets pulled off. The film does have enough humor as well, to keep you entertained throughout. While it may have not lived up to it's predecessors, it did prove for a worthy 1 hour and 50 minutes of my time. 

7/10

Crazy, Rich Asians (2018)

Directed by Jon M. Chu

Screenplay written by Peter Ciarelli and Adele Lim

Based on the novel "Crazy, Rich Asians" by Kevin Kwan

Starring Constance Wu, Henry Golding, Michelle Yeoh and Gemma Chan

This film checks off all the boxes for a great romantic comedy. The only thing that really separates it from the rest of the pack is its entire Asian cast. Everyone seemed to love this movie, and I am a huge sucker for a cliche romantic comedy that leaves you with a couple tears in the end (which this did by the way). 

The story follows Rachel Chu (Constance Wu), an American-born Chinese economics professor. She is invited to travel to Singapore with her boyfriend Nick Young (Henry Golding) to attend his best friend's wedding, where she learns that he comes from one of Asia's most wealthy and prestigious families, while she came from quite the opposite. Once in Singapore, Rachel is targeted by jealous socialites and Nick's disapproving mother (played by Michelle Yeoh) who do not believe she is good enough for Singapore's most sought-after bachelor. 

The character's in this movie are not exactly super interesting and multi-dimensional. Maybe in the book there was more development of the individual characters, and maybe the book was not as riddled with cliches as the movie-- its hard saying having not read it. At times Rachel even seemed very lifeless and monotone, but maybe that is how her character was written in the book? If so, then hats off to Constance Wu!

 Regardless of the stereotyped behavior from most of the characters, Rachel was my favorite character. Her constant efforts to show she's worthy of Nick's love, her chemistry with Henry Golding, and her overall likability factor just made her stand out the most. Of course, she is closely followed by Michelle Yeoh who was perfect for the role as the cold mother. Honestly, I was on the 'Michelle Yeoh for best supporting actress' bandwagon from when I first saw this movie. If it weren't for Awkwafina delivering the laughs in this movie, it could have been a lot worse. She played Rachel's old college roommate, and she lighted the mood many times throughout the movie. 

All criticism aside, Crazy, Rich Asians isn't bad! It's one of those movies you can watch on a plane to pass the time, and feel delightfully pleased with. 

7/10