Logan Lucky

Steven Soderbergh has never been one of my favorite directors, but you have to respect the diversity of his output. He appears to be about as whimsical as a filmmaker can be, given the dedication and discipline of such a medium, taking on projects as they intrigue him for the pure pleasure of the craft and the journey of the creation. I almost wonder if he even pays much attention when his films are released; it seems more likely he's already preoccupied at that point with whatever's next.

Logan Lucky is another take on the "cool heist" subgenre already explored by Soderbergh in the Ocean's Eleven franchise. This one takes place in the South and leaves no character archetype of such a milieu unexploited. The cast is great, with Adam Driver's laconic, minimalistic performance as an ex-soldier-turned-bartender being the standout for me. He gives Buster Keaton a run for his money as far as brilliantly expressive stone-faced characters are concerned.

Like a lot of heist movies (or con man films), the plot is a bit too intricate for its own good. Much of the fun in the first act of the film (the dry wit of the character interactions) subsides as the complexities of the plan are illustrated for the audience. Such movies tend to fall in love with the cleverness of their own mechanics, and that's not particularly what I'm there for. Fortunately there are a couple of uproarious set pieces sprinkled amidst the job itself that redeem all the exposition and the a-to-b-to-c logistics. It also takes too long to end. But I watched Logan Lucky with a group of friends and it was a definite crowd-pleaser, so obviously the flaws are not overwhelming.

I'd like to preface this by saying that southern humor is hilarious to me. Talking in an exaggerated country accent can exponentially elevate any film's comedic level. That's a big reason why I think O Brother Where Art Thou is such comedic gold. And Hell or High Water wouldn't be the same without the southern setting and chippy dialogue.

Anyway, this was a funny movie. It was also a wildly entertaining movie. What if lacked in depth, it made up for in charm. This won't be for everyone, but if you're in the mood for a robbery movie that doesn't take itself too seriously, then watch this one.

A few years ago director Steven Soderbergh made no secret of his waning passion for filmmaking. He announced his intention to retire from feature films following the release of 2013's Behind the Candelabra and cited his desire to pursue other creative interests. Well, it may have taken four years (and a brief stint directing TV's The Knick) to reignite his filmmaking passion, but Soderbergh proves his hand behind the camera is as assured as ever in the rollicking heist caper Logan Lucky.

Aptly described by Soderbergh himself as an "anti-glam version of an Ocean's movie", Logan Lucky is a return to the style of filmmaking that made his Ocean's trilogy box office hits. The film moves at a neat pace, features a strong ensemble cast and is packed with enough twist and turns to keep things interesting throughout its two hour running time.

The story follows the Logan family, brothers Jimmy (Channing Tatum) and Clyde (Adam Driver) and their sister Mellie Logan (Riley Keough), who are known for their family history of bad-luck. After loosing his job at a mine located underneath the Charlotte Motor Speedway, Jimmy plans to pull of an elaborate heist to put the Logan's financial woes behind them and break the family curse. With intricate knowledge of a series of underground tubes that run from the Speedway to a central bank vault filled with millions of dollars, Jimmy sees the perfect opening to rob the vault during a NARSCAR race. To pull it off, he enlists the help of his siblings along with bomb expert Joe Bang (a scene stealing Daniel Craig) and his two brothers, Sam (Brian Gleeson) and Fish Bang (Jack Quaid). The only problem: Joe's in prison. So on top of concocting a plan to steal the cash, they'll need to figure out a way to break Joe out of prison and get him back with no one the wiser. No pressure.

It's a zany comedy about unremarkable characters punching well above their weight but through sheer luck managing to pull things off. Half the fun of the film is seeing things not happening to plan but somehow working out in the end. To its credit, the film never treats itself too seriously and invites you to laugh along with the character's mishaps and the farcical parts of the story are frequently the funniest. One gag involving a prison riot and a jab at Game of Thrones writer George R.R. Martin's glacial writing pace is as screwy as it is funny.

For the most part, the film moves along at a nice pace. Just like in the Ocean's films, Soderbergh (who edits his own film) employs slick, fast cut editing to keep the heist scenes interesting and involving. He also manages to make good use of an impressive ensemble cast, with the likes of Seth MacFarlane, Katie Holmes, Katherine Waterston and Sebastian Stan all making minor but memorable appearances. And while Adam Driver and Channing Tatum both give impressive performances, the standout is an almost unrecognisable Daniel Craig playing blue-collar criminal Joe Bang. An explosions expert sporting a heavy southern accent and bright blonde hair, he's an anti-glam version of Bond if you will. It's Craig's impeccable comedic timing that will make you wish the Bond films would let him exercise his comedic chops a little bit more.

It's only in the last act that the film starts to feel a little played out. The introduction of Hillary Swank as a Special Agent in the last 20 minutes of the film feels a little rushed and ultimately doesn't really go anywhere. Instead, the story continues through a number of false endings, not entirely sure when to bring down the curtain.

Overall, as the first feature to draw Soderbergh out of semi-retirement, Logan Lucky is clearly something he wanted to make and his passion comes through in the final product. Produced entirely on his own and without studio interference, Logan Lucky inverts the glamour and opulence of the Ocean's trilogy without loosing the series' trademark quirks and high entertainment value. If Logan Lucky is intended to act as sort of push-back of the Hollywood system and studio meddling, then Soderbergh has succeeded at both proving a point and making you laugh while doing it.

Great cast and unlikely. Main star is Daniel Craig, this film is such good fun. What you'll love is getting involved with the story more than you'd anticipe. The trailer will make you want to check it out but you won't regret it. Something to watch while chilling out and having a laugh. Will you watch it again? No but you'll really like it

Down-on-his-luck Jimmy Logan (Channing Tatum) has just lost his job. Once he was a promising football player but an injury ended his career and now he's barely making ends meet. He decides to pull off an audacious robbery at the Charlotte Motor Speedway, and he recruits a motley gang to pull it off, including his Iraq-war-vet brother Clyde (Adam Driver), their hairdresser sister Mellie (Riley Keough), and an incarcerated explosives expert named Joe Bang (Daniel Craig).

I was hesitant to watch this one. While I like heist films, and many of director Soderbergh's films, the "southern fried" milieu, coupled with the NASCAR setting seemed like something I'd rather avoid. I was pleasantly surprised that the movie doesn't dwell on mocking southern stereotypes, and the NASCAR elements are kept largely in the background. The performances are good, with Tatum and Driver making for believable blank-faced losers who are maybe a bit sharper than they let on. Craig gets the showiest part, with his hair bleached almost white and the outline of West Virginia tattooed on his neck. The heist particulars are intricate and interesting, but I had the feeling after finishing the movie that dwelling on the details for too long would make a lot of it fall apart. Still, this was better than expected, and an enjoyable time for those not expecting too much.