Steven Soderbergh’s Logan Lucky is a very entertaining heist comedy. The directing, writing, acting, and overall energy make for a most enjoyable watch.
Having lost his construction job, and with his wealthy ex-wife wanting to relocate with his daughter, Jimmy Logan is down on his luck. His brother Clyde believes in a family curse, but Jimmy wants to prove everyone wrong with an audacious heist…
Directed by Steven Soderbergh and written by Rebecca Blunt (believed to be an alias for the real writer), Logan Lucky is a crowd pleaser of a film. The caper is littered with amusing set ups, characters, and dialogue.
The central plot of Logan Lucky is not particularly original. There are definite parallels with Soderbergh’s earlier Ocean’s Eleven. Although there are some smart manoeuvres, these are never groundbreaking. Nevertheless, this does not detract from the overall enjoyment, as Soderbergh’s latest has so much going for it. The characters are well drawn; the protagonists are very quickly established without laboursome character development. Supporting characters are amusing, and go well beyond serving their narrative purposes.
Soderbergh’s film is set in the South West of the United States, and this setting plays a prominent role. Along with a notable soundtrack song, the film depicts a region not often portrayed in Hollywood films. Soderbergh strikes a good balance between creating a fun tone and having characters which appear authentic. The film’s working class protagonists are certainly ones to root for, even if their actions fall foul of the law.
Channing Tatum delivers a convincing performance as Jimmy. He is ably assisted by Adam Driver’s Clyde. Daniel Craig seems to be having a lot of fun as Joe Bang, whilst Riley Keough is great as Mellie. Farrah Mackenzie shines as young Sadie.
Logan Lucky is just the sort of fun caper that the Summer season needs. A welcome return for Steven Soderbergh.
I Heart The Talkies 