Ocean's 8

First Hit: Lackluster plot, poor direction, and mediocre acting make this film barely worth watching.

The original 1960 Ocean’s 11 film with Sammy, Frank, Dean, Joey et al, wasn’t a great film, but seeing these musical and comic icons together in one film in the early Las Vegas days was fun mainly because of who the actors were outside of the characters they played.

When a re-boot of the Ocean’s series came along starting in 2001 with Clooney, Pitt, Damon, Roberts, and others, we were treated with an irreverent kind of attitude that made the story fun.

With hope, I looked forward to seeing some of the best female actors in the world come together in a story and script worthy of their talent. However, I left the theater thinking, what happened. This film barely gets across the finish line.

Debbie Ocean (Sandra Bullock) is the sister of now deceased Danny Ocean (who was played by George Clooney). First question does this mean Clooney cannot play Danny anymore?

The opening scenes show Debbie in a parole hearing having served five-+ years of a longer prison sentence. She was double-crossed by her, at that time, lover and art dealer Claude Becker (Richard Armitage) for faking art purchases of fake art. What is troubling about this opening scene is that Debbie is so good looking, clean and made up there’s no believability that she’d been in prison for five years. The story just doesn’t ring true from the beginning.

Seeking to make money and take revenge, Debbie gets close friend Lou (Cate Blanchett) to help her put a crew together to steal the Toussaint necklace worth $150,000,000 at a gala at the Met in New York City. Finding the crew was done is a flippant manner and only the recruiting of Constance (Awkwafina) as a thief and Nine Ball (Rihanna) held my interest.

To get the Toussaint to the Met, they hire a quirky fading dress designer Rose Weil (Helena Bonham Carter) to request that Daphne Kluger (Anne Hathaway) a top celebrity wear the Toussaint to the Met. This part of the story is a reach in the way it was told, however Hathaway was a blast to watch.

There is more to the story and let’s just say that revenge and the theft of the Toussaint aren’t all that happens during the big theft scene but by that time, who really cares?

Bullock was OK. She didn’t look anything like a prisoner and from that opening scene it’s a push to make her believable. I did enjoy her shopping spree right after she gets out of prison. Blanchett was wasted in this small, supportive role. Hathaway was the best part of this film. I loved her celebrity attitude and then, when she’s cut in for the loot, her looks are perfect. Mindy Kaling, as jewelry cutter Amita was OK. Nothing to write home about. Sarah Paulson as Tammy the fence, was funny. The tour of her garage was hilarious. Awkwafina was one of the better aspects of this film. She captured the screen with her intensity. Rihanna as Nine Ball the computer genius of the thieves, was very good and one of the better characters and parts in this film. Carter was oddly the same character she’s been in most all her latest films, quirky. Gary Ross and Olivia Milch wrote this milquetoast script with little character development and a non-palpable reason for the heist. Ross did not elevate his and Milch's  mediocre story and in the end, it felt lifeless.

Overall: This film will fall to the bottom when people rate the Oceans’ series of films.

Our Brand Is Crisis

First Hit:  With our own elections on the horizon, Sandra Bullock carries this film with an air believability and truth although, at times, it is a lackluster film.

This story is about political strategists and how they ply their wares. I’ve no idea whether how much truth there is in the underhanded way they operate but given what gets displayed in our US elections, it isn’t too far of a stretch to imagine people behind the candidates doing battle in this way.

Here Jane (Calamity Jane) as played by Bullock has been through the ringer. She has had some wins but had one huge loss because of the meanness of one of her opponents’ strategist, Pat Candy (Billy Bob Thornton). Candy is running a Bolivian presidential campaign for Rivera (Louis Arcella) and Ben (Anthony Mackie) and Nell (Ann Dowd) bring Jane out of retirement to beat Candy at his own game.

They want her to be the strategist for his opponent Castillo (Joaquim de Almeida) who has numerous flaws – including integrity. There are lots of scenes where the brooding Jane is thinking about the next thing to do, but when she coalesces the idea, she barks it out and everyone pays attention. It is in those scenes that had Bullock make the film interesting.

The film’s other fireworks (about 5 of them) are when Candy drops in, unscheduled, to speak with Jane. Bullock’s slow seething on Candy’s words are great. The other part of the film I was drawn to were the scenes of Sucre (capital of Bolivia). Not sure if they actually shot there, but the feel of the street scenes were very strong.

Bullock is the strongest part of the film. She makes her scenes interesting and compelling. Thornton is very good as the protagonist strategist. His snarky nature mixed with intelligence makes his character perfect for the role. Mackie is OK as is Dowd. Almeida is strong as marginally caring for the people and mostly caring that he wins the Presidency. Zoe Kazan as LeBlanc the ultimate information finder was wonderful. Peter Straughan wrote a good screen play. David Gordon Green had some directing highlights, (the debate, protest rallies, and scenes with Jane in the campaign headquarters room), but overall it didn’t feel held together as a strong story of which this could have been.

Overall:  This was less than the sum of its parts, but worthy of watching.

Gravity

First Hit: An absolutely Oscar nominee and winner worthy film – amazing beyond belief.

When I'm sitting in a theater, I don’t often get overwhelmingly suspense filled, but this film put me there from the opening moment.

From the beginning this film transports the audience into space and keeps you there till the very end. I strongly suspect adding today’s 3D visuals added to the experience of weightlessness, helplessness, and amazingness of the story and film. What this also means is that I recommend that you see this film in 3D.

Briefly, Ryan Stone (Sandra Bullock) is an obsessed detailed oriented scientist. She lost her little girl in a freak accident and work, her scientific endeavors, are all she really has. Her work associate, senior astronaut and shuttle pilot Matt Kowalski (played by George Clooney) is enjoying his last trip to space and supports Ryan as she conducts repairs on the Hubble space telescope.

However, their work is interrupted because the Russians destroy a satellite which accidentally causes a chain reaction by breaking apart other satellites which creates high speed space particles that their mission will fly through. These particles may destroy their ship and they need to leave. I won’t share any more about the storyline but it is definitely worth the price of admission.

Yes, Clooney and Bullock star in this film but the overall star of this film is the director, space, and the ability to move the sense of space into the theater like no other film has.

Bullock is absolutely Oscar nominee worthy. Her performance had me believe she was in space and was this person. She was brilliant. Clooney was superb. His self-depreciative humor in character was spot on. He was the veteran, the cowboy, the thoughtful leader – perfect. Alfonso Cuaron and Jonas Cuaron wrote an amazingly out of the world script grounded in real human characters. Alfonso’s direction was beyond sublime and he will be nominated for sharing this amazing experience.

Overall:  This is a must see and I suggest pay the extra fee for 3D.

The Heat

First Hit:  There are a few really funny moments, a large number of suppose-to-be funny moments, and also attempts to create a heart felt story.

The story around this film is that we have two friendless women, competent; law-enforcement officers that have to work together to both heal themselves and capture a major drug lord. 

The humor, for the most part is not subtle. It is gross humor with a lot of swearing and doing stupid things. The two women are different and approach work differently. Agent Ashburn (Sandra Bullock) is a pariah in her FBI division because she is incredibly competent, intelligent and shows up the other men in her squad by closing cases with a lack of humility.

She is also a lonely woman and borrows a neighbor's cat to keep her company. On the other hand, Mullins (Melissa McCarthy) is a lonely, overweight, hard charging bullying Boston cop. She intimidates everyone in the entire squad house. Nobody crosses her and nobody does something she doesn’t want done. The unfortunate part of her character is that it seemed very unrealistic and one of the things that put me off on her character.

Her methods were unprofessional; she intimidates with bullying tactics both her perpetrators, other police staff as well as anyone who crosses her for any reason. Her family doesn’t like her because she busted her brother for drugs and sent to him to prison. The humor is not subtle and although some of the scenes are funny, the humor is based more on overt brashness, bullying and swearing.

It wasn't intelligent humor. For the tenderness, each character has their own sadness which they see they can heal with this partnership. On this end, the film is good but not exceptional.

Bullock is the better of the two characters; rather I liked watching her and what she brought to the role. Sandra portrays a tightly controlled character with humor better than most actors and here she shines again. McCarthy is not someone I enjoy watching (see my previous reviews of her). Her bullying personality, which see appears to use in many roles, is tiring and I would like to see her in a role that expands who she is and in a more heartfelt way. Marlon Wayans as Bullock’s FBI support is very good and I felt grounded when he was on the screen. Katie Dippold wrote an OK script. I felt thought, that this film wanted to be serious, heartfelt and funny but didn’t do a good job of balancing these storylines. Paul Feig directed this film and also directed “Bridesmaids” which I found un-watchable and this film suffered from a lot of the same sort of humor that I don’t find funny. However, the two young teen girls sitting in front of me couldn’t stop giggling at the gross action humor.

Overall:  The film was OK, funny at times, and probably worth watching through Netflix or on video.

The Blind Side

First Hit: This is an interesting story but it's Sandra Bullock’s performance that kept me engaged.

This film is based on a true story about Michael Oher a young man who was homeless at age 16 but ended up getting the help and support he needed to end up being drafted as a 2009 first round (23rd) draft pick in the NFL.

This is the story about how he got to that place. While driving home one evening Leigh Anne Tuohy (played by Sandra Bullock), a wealthy Republican whose husband owned a bunch of Taco Bells, happens across Michael (played by Quinton Aaron) walking down the street in freezing rainy weather.

They stop the car and Leigh gets out of the car and asks him where he's going and if he has somewhere to stay. He answers “no” and before you know it he’s staying in the Tuohy’s house.

The whole film is about how be begins to trust the Tuohy’s and they begin to trust him. He begins to learn in school as well as how to play football. There are touching scenes and there are funny scenes.

There’s nothing you wouldn’t expect this film to have, but what made it work for me were two of the actors and a relationship: One of the actors is the Tuohy’s son S.J. (played by Jae Head). This kid was fun to watch and fully engaged in his character.

The young and physically small boy was a great foil for the large slow moving Michael. Together they make up a dynamic duo and their scenes together are wonderful. The other actor who impressed me was Sandra Bullock. She did an outstanding job of showing strength, courage, intelligence, and compassion with her character. She was believable.

The relationship which endeared to this film was the one between Leigh and her husband Sean (played by Tim McGraw). I loved how they accepted each other’s strengths and weaknesses with openness and support.

Bullock was wonderful and could get an Oscar nod. Not necessarily because it was such an outstanding performance (it was a very strong performance) but also because there weren’t a lot of strong woman’s roles in this past year's films. Head was great, engaging and funny. Aaron was good, however there was a lack of spark which left me wondering about the character.

Overall: This was a predictable entertaining film with some wonderful scenes.