LOGAN LUCKY
US, 2017, 118 minutes, Colour.
Channing Tatum, Adam Driver, Daniel Craig, Riley Keogh, Hilary Swank, Sebastian Stan, Seth Mac Farlane, David Denman, Kathryn Waterston, Dwight Yokam,
Directed by Steven Soderbergh.
Logan Lucky is another American heist film, not surprisingly coming from Stephen Soderbergh, who showed how he could do extraordinarily elaborate casino robberies in Ocea's 11 – and then followed up with Oceans 12 and Oceans 13.
This time we are in the states of West Virginia and North Carolina, getting to know the Logan family which has, so far, not been particularly blessed with luck. Jimmy (Channing Tatum) and Clyde (Adam Driver) have served in Iraq and have come back wounded, Jimmy and his leg and Clyde having an artificial arm. Jimmy works in a North Carolina project where sinkholes are being filled in under a racing car arena. Clyde works in the bar. Then Jimmy is fired.
There are further family complications with Jimmy's ex-wife, Katie Holmes, who has married a car salesman, Seth MacFarlane?, and Jimmy dotes on their young daughter who sings competitively in a local school. What is Jimmy to do?
A robbery, of course, and, most elaborate robbery which, on paper, would seem to be beyond the capacities of those who are participating, not only Jimmy and Clyde, but a prisoner, Bang, who knows how to blow up safe doors, and his rather hillbilly brothers.
And, of course they do it. It is surprising how successful they are, given that there are several glitches during the operation, that an escape from prison by the explosives expert and Clyde has to take place on the afternoon of the robbery with them getting back to prison, safe and sound, in the evening. And, the robbery takes place while there is a race going on above in the arena.
A big part of the enjoyment of this film is the character of the explosives expert – of all people, Daniel Craig, a long way from James Bond, with local accent and articulation, rather casual, even in the face of failure, but calmly using his expertise, in the device of getting out of the prison, and, with the collaboration of fellow prisoners, calmly getting back into prison as if nothing had happened.
Jimmy, of course, is watching his daughter sing – and pleasing her father with her rendition of his favourite song, John Denver’s Country Road. This really is a West Virginia film.
Finally, the FBI is called in, in the form of Hilary Swank. She has a shrewd idea of what happened – but all alibis and contingencies are covered.
Nothing particularly startling but enjoyable in the heist kind of way.
1. A heist movie with a difference?
2. The title, the family, lucky or not?
3. The West Virginia settings, homes, the John Denver songs, barns, prisons? North Carolina, Charlotte, the underground plant, the repairs, the money and the pipes, the stadium, the races? The musical score?
4. The introduction to Jimmy, work, his limp, Iraq injury, being fired? His ex-wife? The bond with his daughter? The bond with Clyde and Iraq memories? His ex-wife’s new husband and children? The cars? The meeting with Sylvia and the injection, flirting? The plan with the cake and the cockroaches? Clyde, the bar, the driver and the brawl in the bar? His motivations for the robbery?
5. Clyde, loss of his hand, the artificial limb? Jim’s younger brother, Jimmy protective? Working the bar, the driver and picking the fight, the injuries, the car on fire?
6. The decision about the robbery, the timing, the motivations, the details of the plan? Going to visit Bang in prison, his expertise and explanations? His hillbilly brothers? The other contacts?
7. The details of the plan, ingenuity?
8. The character of Bang, the meeting, his way of talking, the interviews about the explosion? In the prison, the meals, the inmates? Clyde and his being arrested, into prison? The contact with the inmates, the lockdown, the details of the escape from the infirmary, the panels under the truck and their hiding, getting out of the prison, driving the car, the helper from Mellie?
9. Bang’s brothers, their jobs, sleeping on the job, yet their efficiency in action?
10. The races, the crowds, the drivers and their clash, personalities? The details of the race? The crash? The driver in the underground? The quarrelsome driver recognising Jimmy, the fight, his broken nose?
11. The robbery, the ingredients for the explosive, the initial error, yet Bang fixing it up in the plastic bag? The explosion? The smoke and the smoker? The pipes for the money? The arm disappearing into the pipe? The amount of money, scooping it up? The authorities, the inspectors about the smoke? The discussions with Jimmy and the others?
12. The truck, the brothers driving the money, their explanation to the guards?
13. The timing, the inmates setting the fire, calling on the brigade? The warden, his personality, arrogance, Bang being sick all over him? His not wanting to phone in the difficulties? No records? The drive in the car, Bang and Clyde and the Fire Brigade uniforms, going in on the firetruck truck? Back on the infirmary and the plausible story?
14. Jimmy, his daughter and her singing, everybody joining in, his presence, her winning the competition, the trophy?
15. Sarah and the FBI inspection, the associate? The interrogations? The tipoff about the money, it’s being returned? The issue of the insurance at the Raceway? The bosses?
16. The flashbacks about getting the money, the arm, Mellie helping, the secret bags for the payout?
17. Jimmy and his ex-wife moving, his going south and getting a job, contact with his daughter?
18. Bang getting out, no money, the previous story of his girlfriend taking all the money? The shovel at his door, digging it up? The gifts, to Sylvia, the woman with the cake? Everybody at the bar, Jimmy and Sylvia, the gift of the money? Mellie, Clyde?
19. The irony of Clyde talking to the woman – and it being the investigator? And her hanging around for a while? To solve the case – or for the money?
