Logan Lucky
Logan Lucky is a crime comedy about a heist during a NASCAR race starring Channing Tatum, Adam Driver, and Daniel Craig. The trailer sells the film accurately as a Steven Soderbergh directed, fun filled heist movie, with plenty of odd characters (similar enough to his Ocean’s 11/12/13 films, but also different enough to have been made). Taking his time to let the audience get to know the characters, Soderbergh sets up a well developed film by allowing his actors to each have their time to shine. My audience I saw the film with were few in number but happy to laugh at the unconventional laughs sprinkled throughout written by first time writer Rebecca Blunt. Filmed in Georgia and North Carolina, the movie showcases life in the south for two brothers that have some family issues and associate with criminals, all of whom are usually struggling with common sense and grammar. There may have been a couple extra characters that are not completely pivotal to the plot and the last thirty minutes could have been trimmed for a quicker wrap up, but the film is enjoyable due to the talents of Tatum’s plan, Driver’s hand, and Craig’s attitude. Tatum is quite comfortable playing the not-so-bright, Driver knows he is awkward and uses it to his advantage, and Craig steals scenes with his comments, voice, and hair-do. Channing especially shines building a character dealing with parental and career challenges, while putting the plan into motion, and becomes unrecognizable in coveralls and a scruffy appearance. Logan Lucky pulls off a larger scale feel by clever editing, using just the right amount of race car footage, fire effects, and all the scenes at the prison (a contributing ensemble). So good it almost makes me want to watch 400 laps of turning left.
2017, PG, 1h 59m
Distributor – Bleecker Street
Budget – $29 million
Cast & Crew
Director Steven Soderbergh previously directed all 20 episodes of The Knick (2014-2015 medical drama starring Clive Owen), Channing Tatum in both Side Effects (2013 crime drama with Rooney Mara) and Magic Mike (2012 comedy drama with Channing Tatum), and was the editor on all the films. His next project is Mosaic, a dramatic tv movie with Garrett Hedlund and Sharon Stone that has an interactive element with the audience. Channing Tatum was previously in and did voice work for the series Comrade Detective (action comedy with Joseph Godon-Levitt), Hail, Caeser! (2016 comedy mystery written and directed by the Coen brothers), and will next be seen in Kingsman: The Golden Circle (action sequel with Taron Egerton). Adam Driver was previously in the series Girls (2012-2017 comedy drama with Lena Dunham), Silence (2016 adventure drama adapted and directed by Martin Scorsese), and will next be in The Meyerowitz Stories (comedy drama with Adam Sandler) and Star Wars: The Last Jedi (the sequel to The Force Awakens in 2015). Also appearing is Daniel Craig who most recently also voiced for Comrade Detective, was James Bond in Spectre (2015), and will next be seen in Kings (crime drama with Halle Berry).