Arrrooo! 'Oceans Thirteen' vs. cougarsOK, someone has to voice it: was I the only one who detected a whiff of misogyny in the latest three-quel to shamble lazily into our movie theaters, Oceans Thirteen?
Ellen Barkin's ruthless manager Abigale Sponder inflicts her rigid beauty standards on a would-be casino cocktail waitress.
Ladies note: all that self-tanner use is admirable 'n' all - kudos especially for the job around the wrinkly peepers of Al Pacino - but what's with Steven Soderbergh and company's conflicted treatment of the bad girl of the piece: Pacino's assistant Abigale Sponder, played by Ellen Barkin who's sexed up in a tight hot-pink sheath, boobage jacked up to bubble-like Wonderbra proportions. Her chest literally steals the second half of the show: it's impossible to look at anything else when she's or they're on screen. Is overt retro-sexism acceptable when it's swathed in Rat Pack-style nostalgia and quasi-pro-sexy feminism? Yet the fact that the Matt Damon character - of all of the crew and in a faux honker to boot - can swoop the "cougar" as he calls her, is insulting. There's no need to roll out the "real" weaponry like Brad Pitt.
Older women are ripe prey for any ole member of Danny Ocean's crew?
On the surface, one might posit that Barkin's lusty portrayal is empowering for older gals, but you can't hide the contempt in the filmmaker's gaze - never mind that she's a bad guy's moll in the style of Natasha and Boris. The fact she's served up - the sole female "name" among the many Hollywood hotties - like a aging flesh sandwich as some sort of signifier of corruption in Ocean's glam universe, reeks of not-so-covert crone-bashing.
I'm all for juicier parts for older actresses, but do worthy players like Barkin need to stoop to this?
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Comments (4)
You're not alone.
I thought the movie/series was just a beautifully lensed, pretty-person caper but I felt awful everytime Barkin came on screen because her character was just absurd and there was so much loathing in the way she was written.
Posted by Erin | June 9, 2007 12:38 PM
Oh and btw, the term Damon uses is 'cougar' not 'coyote'.
Posted by Erin | June 9, 2007 12:41 PM
I stand corrected - thanks! "Cougar" it is and "cougar" I changed it to...
Posted by Kimberly Chun | June 9, 2007 03:32 PM
i'm sitting watching the movie for the second time today and think the ellen barkin comments are completely out of line, just exactly how was she expected to play the role? does it matter? ellen barkin lights up the screen in every role i've seen her play, this one is no different, she just oozes sex appeal, let the ladies have george and brad, when it comes to pure unique sex appeal then ellen barkin has them beat hands down.
if anyone is open to ridicule then matt damon's false nose takes the biscuit and despite his untimely death today bernie mac brings nothing to the film, his character is superflous to the storyline other than to nod in the general direction of other characters from time to time in casino scenes.
long live the "cougar" sex on legs, body of an angel, uniques facial features
Posted by EOEO | August 9, 2008 02:11 PM