Logan Lucky (2017) review - Movie Thoughts (Chapter 4) 🏁
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Source: IMDB |
It’s clear from the outset with the thick accents and country twang that
audiences are headed into the USA’s deep South. The iconic tune ‘Take me
home, West Virginia’ is an unexpected thread within the exciting cultural
snapshots Soderbergh presents in tandem with an extravagant robbery. With
child beauty pageants, the cult spectacle of NASCAR and a field festival
with toilet seat quoits, the setup of country living is more enjoyable to
witness than the heist itself at times.
There were plenty of absolute zingers and hilarious gags to keep up the
banter. ‘Cauliflower’ is not a good enough reason to do anything, let
alone break the law, and there are many dipshit men in this film who have
comedic stupidity and ego in spades. Moments like the Ocean’s and Game of
Thrones references were witty, but not frequent enough to move the script
out of being largely loose and underwhelming.
The film’s charms are rooted in the trickster-esque vibe of the group
muddling their way through a high-risk robbery. Ringleader Jimmy Logan
(Channing Tatum) and his bartender brother Clyde (Adam Driver) follow a
to-do list titled ‘Rules For Robbing A Bank’ with hilariously vague
details; no-one is calling this a sleek, clinical operation. But there’s
still this weird precedent hanging over the plot that the plan might not
be 100% foolproof. Joe Bang (Daniel Craig)’s off-hand remark about the
Logan’s ‘not being very bright’ and the mysterious Logan family curse a
shadow at every turn, Soderbergh is implicitly raising the stakes.
Despite the complex setup, the overall payoff wasn’t sweet or
satisfying but more of a close call and frustrating sigh of relief by the
end credits.
It’s fair to say that the plot takes a while to gain a strong sense of
purpose and momentum. The first scene of real energy doesn’t happen until
the bar. That exchange ends in a racecar driver getting punched in the
face, a car getting blown up and an odd codeword triggering the start of
heist proceedings. Retrospectively a make or break moment, it slaps
audiences into gear and illustrates curse or no curse, no-one messes with
the Logan family. The plot picked up speed after this, thank goodness, but
it was a rocky road of strong witty beats and odd moments that don’t quite
land on target.
An all-star cast is to be expected for a Soderbergh production, but
glorified cameo’s from Hillary Swank in the last 30 minutes and fitness
junkie driver Sebastian Stan were largely throwaway additions that didn’t
add much to the overall tone. The standout characters and performances
were rightly the protagonists. High school jock turned construction worker
Jimmy is shown to be a father trying to do his best to keep up with his
daughter and be there for her despite his ex-wife Bobbie Jo (Katie
Holmes)’s new life. Tatum is brilliantly natural in this role, and the
sweet father/daughter connection provides an unexpected yet necessary
sweetness to the emotional weight of the story.
Mellie Logan (Riley Keough) the hairdresser/car genius was wonderful and
criminally underused, and Ellen Mirojnick’s costume design was especially
awesome in illustrating her badassery alongside her fun and refreshing
personality. Surprisingly, explosives expert and salted egg enthusiast Joe
Bang (Daniel Craig) helps the Logan’s and ends up stealing their thunder
at times thanks to his crazytown complete with tattoos demeanour and
chaotic energy. His first in-prison meeting with Jimmy and Clyde and his
impromptu chemistry lesson with gummy bears and chalk equations are some
of the most chuckle-worthy in the film.
Logan Lucky had all the makings of a smooth Ocean’s-esque
operation, but wasn’t cooked enough with country charm to distract from
odd pacing and clunky set-up. The pay-offs felt really underwhelming
considering some of the convoluted breadcrumbs left throughout the film.
But there is personality and hijinks enough to create a solid effort that
is overall a good investment.
7/10, 3 STARS
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