Directed by: Steven Soderbergh
Written by: Rebecca Blunt
Starring: Channing Tatum, Adam Driver, Daniel Craig
IMDb Link
*Warning: Spoilers Ahead*
Logan Lucky follows Jimmy Logan (Tatum), a man down on his luck (har har, yes that's an easy joke to make with this movie), out of work and doing what he can to stay involved in his daughter's life. He teams up with his brother Clyde (Driver), his sister Mellie (Riley Keough), convict Joe Bang (Craig), and Bang's brothers Fish and Sam, for a heist to steal money from a nearby speedway. Imagine something along the lines of Ocean's Eleven but with a Southern charm.
The whole film is just great silliness from start to finish, with lots of clever character quirks and absurd moments peppered throughout the film as we progress through an equally preposterous heist plot that never takes itself too seriously and takes joy in its need for conveniences.
There's a lot of delight to be had in the film's characters and the little bits of flavour the actors add to their performances. While Tatum and Driver have to handle the straight-man roles in the comedy, the Bang brothers are set up for one hilariously silly moment after another. Craig as Joe Bang is the particular highlight, looking like he's having an absolute ball of a time performing as the playfully silly convict with the bleach-blonde hair and the high-pitched voice. He's given great material to work with here too; one scene that stands out involves him taking the time to explain a chemical reaction to Logan boys, all the while holding the very explosive in his hand. It's hilarious to see him go from stressing how dangerous the stuff is, only to immediately forget about it and to go about legitimising his work the moment the boys question it, all expressed by a perfectly over-the-top Craig. That said, his brothers get plenty of moments to shine, including my absolute favourite moment in the film: When the Logan boys come to recruit them, they initially rebuff the suggestion, saying that they're good with God and that they'd need a damn good moral reason to break the law. The Logan boys scramble a reason together, one that's had half a thought put in to it and doesn't sound particularly true, but when the Bang boys turn to confer their decision, the conversation is literally "Whadya think?" "Yeah" "Ok" They don't question it unless it's convenient for them, they're seemingly just looking for an excuse, but the elaborate hoops they makes the Logan boys jump through once again add to the film's comedic tone..These two deliver lines to each other so quickly and easily that it's like sketch comedy.
The plot itself is simultaneously brilliant and ludicrous, relying on so many coincidences but executing so fantastically because those coincidences fell in to place. In another kind of film I'd find it annoying, but Logan Lucky does its best with barely a hint of a serious tone that it's easy to just sit back and suspend your disbelief. The film is endearing, and for that reason it's easy to forgive the obvious moments where this has to occur, and praise the film in its moments where these fortunes pay off in heartfelt ways. I criticise the film for having effectively three endings, which causes the pacing of the film to drag at the end, and a finale that's more annoyingly ambiguous than as clever as the rest of the film. However, these details don't detract from the preceding 100 minutes; the plot's set up and execution are slick, and the payoff is more meaningful than the rest of the film, even if it's muddled.
All of the film's escapist plot and enjoyably absurd characters are laid on a backdrop of a surprisingly fleshed out picture of small town USA. Clyde has one hand and thinks the family is cursed with perpetual bad luck, Jimmy's daughter is in to beauty pageants, there's a county fair with some unique carnival games, and everyone knows everyone; it all adds up to this real sense of a little community somewhere in the US, which humanises the film a little despite its absurdity, and gives the film a little meat behind the lightweight veneer.
The Verdict: Logan Lucky is light and absurd with a little bit of heart and rarely a dull moment. The colour in its characters and dialogue, handled by experienced direction, makes for an all-round superb experience that everyone seemed to enjoy making. I recommend you go see if you enjoyed the likes of Soderbergh's other works such as the Ocean's series.
Rating: 7.5/10
Published August 17th, 2017
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