In 2001,Ocean’s Elevenhit theaters, kicking off directorSteven Soderbergh’s iconic Oceans trilogy, a series of heist movies with astar-studded ensemble castled byGeorge ClooneyandBrad Pitt. He’s dabbled in several other genres since the release ofOceans Thirteenin 2007, but returned to the tried and true formula with his 2017 heist comedy,Logan Lucky. Directed by Soderbergh and written by his wife Jules Asner,Logan Luckyfollows Jimmy (Channing Tatum)and Clyde (Adam Driver) Logan, two brothers who work together to stage a heist during amajor NASCAR race. Trading in Las Vegas for Boone County, West Virginia, Soderberghhas described the film asthe“anti-glam version of anOceansmovie,”following characters who aren’t chasing extreme wealth, but simply trying to make ends meet and live more comfortable lives.Logan Luckyshowcases what Soderbergh does best, with plenty of intrigue, humor, heart, and a perfectly cast ensemble that makes it all worthwhile.
What Is ‘Logan Lucky’ About?
Logan Lucky’s Jimmy Logan is a down-on-his-luck blue-collar worker newly fired from his construction job due to a leg injury stemming back to his high school football days. He’s a loving, if unreliable, father to his young daughter Sadie (Farrah Mackenzie), who lives with her mom Bobbie Jo (Katie Holmes) and her wealthy new husband. Without enough money to even pay for a cell phone, Jimmy turns to his brother Clyde, an amputee bartender, for help planning a heist during the Coca-Cola 600 race at the Charlotte Motor Speedway. They recruit their younger sister, Mellie (Riley Keough), incarcerated safe-cracker Joe Bang (Daniel Craig), and his bumbling brothers Sam (Brian Gleeson) and Fish (Jack Quaid) to the team as well. With Joe in prison, Jimmy and Clyde have to execute not only a robbery but a prison break, all while Jimmy tries to make it back in time to see his daughter perform in a beauty pageant.
‘Logan Lucky’ Is a Humble Heist Comedy With Heart
Without the bright lights of Las Vegas and Clooney and Pitt nowhere to be found, Soderbergh employs acompletely different ensemble castfor his more laid-back and down-to-earth version ofOcean’s Eleven.Logan Lucky’s characters aren’t exceptionally brilliant or charming, but resourceful and rough around the edges, making the success of their heist uniquely impressive. Like theOceanstrilogy, one ofLogan Lucky’s biggest strengths is its cast, the majority of which attempt to pull off some kind of southern accent to varying degrees of success, but with plenty of comedic effect. Tatum, Driver, and Keough make a great trio as the Logan siblings, andCraig’s bleach-blonde, sweet-talking “in-car-cer-ated” explosives expertis a definite highlight. Even the smaller roles played byKatherine Waterston,Hilary Swank, andSebastian Stanmake an impact, rounding out the cast with their limited screen time. Though some of the characters may come off as caricatures,Logan Luckydoesn’t treat them as simply the butt of a joke, but as sympathetic, underestimated, and deceptively smart human beings.
Jimmy’s heist, dubbed “Ocean’s 7-Eleven” by the press, is entertaining enough, with plenty of moving pieces, and thoughLogan Luckynever takes itself too seriously, it hasplenty of heartas well.Jimmy’s list of “Top Ten Rules for Robbing a Bank,” illustrates exactly what kind of character he is and the sense of morality that guides him as he plans the robbery. Unlike Danny Ocean, Jimmy isn’t led by a desire for revenge or power, but to secure enough money to become the stable, supportive father he has been unable to be for his daughter. Sadie’s performance of John Denver’s “Take Me Home, Country Roads” at her beauty pageant temporarily pulls you out of the silliness ofLogan Lucky’s humor to tug at your heartstrings with a sweet reminder of Jimmy’s pure intentions. Asurprising twistproves Jimmy to be a Robin Hood-like figure, and when all is said and done, he’s sure to take care of those who may have been inconvenienced along the way.
By stepping away from theOceansfranchise to focus on a group of working-class characters, one of the most notable differences between Soderbergh’s twoheist comediesis the way each of them approaches wealth. Two of the most important points on Jimmy’s list – “don’t get greedy” and “hang up and know when to walk away” – are the key to the film’s twist. The point of the heist isn’t to steal as much money as possible, and considering Jimmy doesn’t have a lot of funds or the world’s top minds at his disposal, he still manages to outsmart others with the limited resources he can find. A running joke inLogan Luckyis that the members of the Logan family have historically bad luck, but through humility, intellect, and creativity,Jimmy and his siblings find a way to create some luck of their own.
Logan Luckyis now streaming on Netflix in the U.S.
Logan Lucky
