Ocean’s 8 (TFX) – Cate Blanchett and Sandra Bullock: “There was a lot of goodwill between us”

It’s a glamorous $150 million robbery at Cartier, orchestrated by Danny’s (George Clooney) sister Debbie Ocean (Sandra Bullock), that brings you all together. It was quite challenging to continue this saga…

Sandra Bullock: This concept was proposed to me at least three years ago. To be honest, I didn’t think it would be successful, even though it was a very fun idea.

Cate Blanchett: It seemed almost impossible. When a landscape like this falls into your hands, it is sure that you already have an idea of ​​what it could be like, given the cultural heritage it represents. It was also a risk worth taking.

Sandra, did you talk to George Clooney to prepare for the role of Debbie?

Sandra: Yes, we discussed this a lot on the phone. George and I almost grew up together!

Behind the scenes, what’s it like to shoot with so many actresses?

Sandra: We did a lot of work. I wish we could all go to a bar in the evening, but we were getting tired by midnight! There was a lot of goodwill between us from the beginning. For actresses, there are about five roles each year that they have to land in Hollywood. We soon find ourselves isolated on our own little island! But there, overall, our island was as big as Hawaii!

The film takes place during the Met Gala, a spectacular evening at the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York. Did you say anything about your outfit?

Sandra: We all had a clear idea of ​​what we wanted to wear. We worked with tailors. My dress was designed by Italian fashion designer Alberta Ferretti, but I knew what I wanted. Like sleeves of a certain length, because I hide the jewelry in the film. I also wanted it to be black to blend in with the crowd…

A film made by eight women amid the #MeToo movement, is it symbolic for you?

Kate: What we are experiencing today is a human problem that affects men too. This is a change for them too. We should take the debate forward to avoid going round and round. We don’t want to find ourselves at the same point in twenty years, talking about the same problems!

Sandra: In the film, we see women caring for each other, not afraid to step into the shadows to make others shine. We are not so concerned about the loot, but more about how we trust each other, how we treat each other with respect. This bond exists between women.

Kate: We were lucky enough to be directed by Gary Ross (Hunger Games), a filmmaker who loves women and wanted to make a film about them. Despite everything, we all want to see more female directors at the top. I have just returned from Cannes, where only three of the twenty-one films selected were directed by women.

Ocean’s 8, Tuesday March 19, 9:05pm on TFX

Interview conducted in 2018 by Frank Ragen