Ocean's 8 is slick and sophisticated with a stylish cast

Don’t be mistaken though, Ocean’s 8 is not a chick flick. In fact, amid the cast of Sandra Bullock, Cate Blanchett, Anne Hathaway, Sarah Paulson, and co. - who in combination sport a plethora of Oscars, Emmys, and Golden Globes - there is a shrewdly crafted plot smart enough to entice any audience member.

It’s slick and sophisticated and as stylish as you hope it is. Deeper than the glossy shots of the Met Gala and the entertainment of the film’s plot there is Anne Hathaway’s Daphne Kluger and her takedown of extravagant and pompous celebrity culture.

Combined, the cast creates a sort of charm that deserves to be explored further. Refreshingly, there’s no need to try to decipher who delivered the better performance as all the characters are treated equally and all the actors are given equal screen time. Imagine that.

Logically, and from a place of 100% bias, any story could always do with more screen time for the marvellous Sarah Paulson. But objectively each actor’s contribution is not only perfectly weighted but also equally important to pulling the whole thing off.

There will be those who look for similarities in comparison to the George Clooney-Brad Pitt led Ocean’s films. But Ocean’s 8 is intuitively charming and entertaining enough for audiences to realise and agree that the torch has been passed.

Ocean’s 8 is not a film that will change your life. But it is, vitally, a film that will begin to change the conversation and assumption of what audiences want to see on the big screen and elsewhere. Beyond that, this cast seems like a heck of a lot of fun to hang out with and I’d happily do so for a number of sequels.

Screening courtesy of Ster Kinekor Baywest.