OCEAN'S EIGHT (2018) Movie Review
Isaiah 43:19 - "For I am about to do something new. See, I have already begun! Do you not see it? I will make a pathway through the wilderness. I will create rivers in the dry wasteland." (NLT)
How would your life turn around if you had an unlimited bank account? What career or hobbies would you pursue? How would others treat you differently? There are few things more limiting (for a law-abiding citizen) than a paycheck to paycheck existence. One works hard for the mere ability to pay the bills and little else. Keeping such a job is a drain on time, resources, dignity, and hope.
Would it be so unbelievable to seize the opportunity to break free from this soul-crushing existence?
Debbie Ocean certainly would.
The sister of notorious thief Danny Ocean, the mastermind behind the robberies in Ocean's Eleven, Ocean's Twelve and Ocean's Thirteen, the apple does not fall far from the tree in Ocean's Eight
. Her greatest desire in life in to live up the reputation behind the name Ocean and to earn her family's respect. After a humiliating arrest and five-year incarceration, she feels like she has a lot to prove.
Galatians 1:10 - "Obviously, I’m not trying to win the approval of people, but of God. If pleasing people were my goal, I would not be Christ’s servant." (NLT)
Not only is Debbie a brilliant thief, but she also has a big heart for the people she assembles to succeed in her goal. All of the women she brings together are extremely skilled in their fields. However, they are also unappreciated, underestimated and miserable in their current existence. Whether her teammates are bored with their lives or washed up and drowning in debt, each member of her team are as desperate as she is to prove themselves to the world. That can be a dangerous motivator.
The massive, carefully planned undertaking would certainly do the Ocean family proud, and Debbie manages it with a smaller team than her brother could assemble. She also gives the plan her own feminine flair making this the most unique film in the Ocean franchise. Her plan's extra flavor includes a fall guy. Not just any fall guy, but the man who sells out Ocean leading to her incarceration. This traitor finally gets his day in prison.
Hell hath no fury. ( The Mourning Bride)
2 Corinthians 5:17 - "...anyone who belongs to Christ has become a new person. The old life is gone; a new life has begun!" (NLT)
While Ocean's Eight
is a fun exploration of how unlimited resources can provide instant gratification to one's life, the pursuit of happiness through theft and revenge shall prove to be spiritually unrewarding. The physical resources of this world are fleeting. Sooner or later, this team of eight will find themselves hungry again. Only spiritual grounding through faith can satisfy the spirit, and children of God can rejoice in freedom from the illusion of image. God is the only being to whom we feel the need to prove ourselves.
Let Ocean's Eight be a lesson that money is not the answer to all problems. Instead, focus on the One who can bring everlasting satisfaction. Through Christ, we are never hungry or thirsty.
