CAST: Channing Tatum, Adam Driver, Seth MacFarlane, Riley Keough, Katie Holmes, Katherine Waterston, Dwight Yoakam, Sebastian Stan, Hilary Swank, Daniel Craig

DIRECTION: Steven Soderbergh

GENRE: Comedy

DURATION: 2 hours

STORY

Steven Soderbergh’s ‘Logan Lucky’ is an American heist comedy film. It focuses on three siblings who plan to rob the Charlotte Motor Speedway in North Carolina.

REVIEW

Steven Soderbergh retired from filmmaking in 2013, claiming that he had lost interest in the industry. The director behind the ‘Ocean’s Trilogy’ – the iconic heist series – decided to come out of retirement and make another entry in the same genre, but this time at the other end of the glamor spectrum. If the sophisticated crew of Ocean’s had swag, then this ragtag group has rustic charm, and loads of it. Set in West Virginia, there’s nothing fancy about any of them, or their methods. But Soderbergh’s years of experience with handling an assorted cast hasn’t wasted away over the years. He empowers each actor with enough material to showcase their range of skills and to a large extent, they do not disappoint.

Tatum & Driver play two siblings carrying some family baggage due to unfortunate events. They both imbibe their characters with a subtle sibling tension under the surface but are undeniably brothers in arms. Their sister Mellie Logan, played by Riley Keough, is a strong presence even with her limited screen time.

There are a lot of smaller parts featuring a talented set of actors like Hilary Swank and Seth MacFarlane who might make you wonder what they’re doing in this film at certain points, but clearly, everyone’s having a great time playing this assorted bunch of endearing oddities. That’s certainly the case for Daniel Craig, who seems to have taken up this film as a palate cleanser of sorts. Before he wears the bespoke suit again, and gets back all his fancy toys as the spy extraordinaire, he has to make do as a petty criminal with a penchant for crude bombs. Instead, Craig walks a fine line between being a tightly wound manic genius, and an eccentric loose cannon waiting to blow up. It’s a thrill to watch him at work as the wild card.

Which is also a way to describe ‘Logan Lucky’ as a film. It’s unpredictable, with some unforeseen twists and turns but with its heart intact. While the last act feels a bit drawn out, especially with the rushed introduction of a particular character, the majority of the film plays out smoothly and there’s hardly a lull in the quirky humor and suspense. Even if it doesn’t raise the stakes of the genre, there’s enough potential to turn this funny and smartly written caper into another entertaining Soderbergh franchise.