The one necessary staple of any Ocean's film has to be its cast, the original trilogy featuring a charismatic cavalcade of recognizable talent, with George Clooney leading the charge. Ocean's 8 keeps to the same high caliber of talent, sporting three Oscar winners, two of the best character actresses in the industry, two musicians whose potential have yet to be tapped, and a reliable comedienne. The crux of which this movie rests on depends squarely on how this group can interact with each other, a feat that they and director Gary Ross deliver on admirably. In spite of their limited paper counterparts, the ensemble cast do a tremendous job of bringing their characters to life, clicking and bouncing off of each other with a delightful chemistry as they weave through a consistently dizzying game of deception and diversion, and each being given their own adequate time on their own to carve their identities.
Leading the charge here is Sandra Bullock, who is having the time of her life in this movie. Her Debbie could arguably be seen as a greater risk taker than Danny in many ways, with her own penchant for deception and manipulation, but with a more grounded and improvisational approach to executing her schemes. It's the type of role that plays seamlessly with Bullock's strengths, capitalizing on her charm and ability to play smooth, confident leader that owns the room, and she seizes the opportunity firmly with both hands.
Speaking of which, as the Brad Pitt to her Clooney, Cate Blanchett is a delightful addition as her old partner in crime, and clearly having a great time ditching the usual drama in favor of having some slick fun, as the two make for an engaging and naturally matched double act. Elsewhere you have Helena Bonham Carter - the planted fashion designer to Anne Hathaway's pawn - having a lot of fun in her quirky best, Sarah Paulson's profiteer as the inside woman on the Met Gala heist, and Rihanna as the team's hacker and technical expert, all of which get some real standout moments. And even if Mindy Kaling and rapper Awkwafina don't get a whole lot to do, both here respectively as the jewelry expert and master pickpocket, they still get some enjoyable standout segments to stretch their legs.
But it's Anne Hathaway who ends up handily stealing the show, here as the team's target Daphne Kluger, who is to be wearing the valuable jewel necklace the group is after. Hathaway really excels at playing this spoiled, vain A-lister obsessed with her image and being able to one-up others, to often hilarious effect, and yet underneath that image may actually be smarter and less childish than she appears, as more a counter-player than a pawn.
And whether it's sitting in a room and bickering with each other over a laptop, or forming together through one near impossible heist, the interlocking talents of the collective performance carries this movie, especially as it closes out on the pinpoint planning and moves itself into the big caper. And the production value of these sequences truly are incredible, impeccably cross-cut as one team member makes way for the other, and disappearing and reappearing through the lavish crowds of gowns and accessories. And while there may not be much of a personal reason for any of this to be unfolding, aside from one revenge angle that it just stumbles upon, to see all of the cogs of the machine turn so precisely really brings out a lot of enjoyment to this movie.
And outside of a few token nods, this film can still work just fine without knowledge of the original trilogy, which really is fitting to match Debbie's journey of stepping out from her brother's shadow. It can hardly be considered a classic, but the irresistible charm and suave flair of the piece, and the massive cast, make this a perfectly watchable and rock solid piece of popcorn entertainment.
***1/2 / *****
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