I'm not a fan of movie trailers. They sell films badly. They show scenes out of context and make movies look like something they ain't. The Logan Lucky trailer I saw made the film look like a broad comedy, a modern update of something like The Dukes Of Hazard. A film that made it's comedy from ripping the piss out of country folk. Logan Lucky is pretty damn far from the movie it's being sold as.
What Logan Lucky is a cracking little film.
Jimmy Logan is a caring father who only wants the best for his daughter. He's also a man who has just been let go from his job. When his ex wife wants to move away with their child, he decides to enlist the help of his brother and sister to rob a lot of money to ensure she can't.
This is super stuff. It's full of solid characters, a group of funny, adorable, lovely and most importantly clever people who you will want to see do well. I knew director Steven Soderbergh is far too smart to make the film shown in the trailer. It has bucket loads of heart too. Inside of five minutes into the film you'll instantly recognise and empathise with the main character. His is a relatable struggle. A parent just wanting to be close to his child. At it's heart though it's a heist film with a lot of comedy thrown in. The joy in these films is seeing how the disparate parts of the plan come together and it really works well here. It's very cleverly done in ways that will confuse you at first and then make you go "YUUSSSS" when you realise what's happening. The comedy side of it works well too. One scene of slapstick involving a vacuum and a fake arm made me choke on my skips. One major thing I loved too was the subversion of the cliches you'd expect to see in a film like this. The things you expect to go sideways don't and the things you don't expect pop up. It's nice. It keeps things fresh. One other thing. This is Soderbergh's second dip into the world of heist movies after the Ocean's trilogy and thankfully it's lacking the smug self awareness & cleverness of those films. It has no airs or notions. Always a good thing. It's far more human.
The acting is top notch. The cast come across as a bit simple and silly at first but as the layers get scratched away they really shine. Channing Tatum has rapidly become one of the most enjoyable and reliable actors out there. I have to say I did not see that coming judging from his earlier roles. He's really good here as a man resorting to desperate measures to stay close to his daughter. Adam Driver has a good time as his brother Clyde, a man who lost a lot trying to get out of his brothers shadow. He's far more likable here than his roles in Girls or The Force Awakens. He's a right good physical comedian too. The film wrings some super laughs out of his facial expressions alone. Riley Keough plays their sister Mellie. She's grand in a smaller role and gets a couple of moments to shine but I'd have liked to have seen a lot more or her. Daniel Craig also shows a side of himself we rarely see. His role isn't as wild as the trailers made out but he has loads of fun as a chap who gets roped into the job and is yet another character who is far from the one dimensional stereotype we're first introduced too. I like Craig in roles like this. Those cold blue eyes of his suggest a character who's always unpredictable. Farrah Mackenzie as Jimmy's daughter is just perfect too. You can see why exactly he's willing to risk all for her. She gets a mighty scene near the end that would put a smile on anyone's face. TBH everyone is great and it was nice to see Brian ( son of Brendan) Gleeson turn up too as a man with an odd moral compass.
The downsides. There's always a few. It's too long. No comedy needs to be 2 hrs long. And this could have been dealt with by snipping out my other problem with the film. The introduction of a famous face near the end adds absolutely nothing to the story. It's a baffling choice to waste a fine actor like this. It's not like the cast was lacking in star power. If the film had to be that long the time would have been better spent beefing up a couple of the supporting characters that get short shrift. That would have been far more satisfying.
Anyway.
Steven Soderbergh has hit the bullseye with this one again. A film with a story that will hook you, characters you'll actually give a shit about, and one that will leave you walking out of the cinema with a cheesy grin on your face.
Well worth your time.
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