Writer: Rebecca Blunt (Probably Soderbergh)
DOP: Peter Andrews (Definitely Soderbergh)
Cast: Channing Tatum, Adam Driver, Daniel Craig, Riley Keough
Two brothers attempt to pull off a heist during a NASCAR race in North Carolina. They have to get out and in their explosive expert, Joe BANG (Daniel Craig), from a jail and his two younger brothers, who knows them twitters, are their digital experts.
It is the slower non-glitzy version of Ocean's 11 with seemingly non-experts working on the heist. Channing Tatum's character, a divorced father, is a failed quarterback while his brother, played by Adam Driver, is a veteran who lost his hand in Iraq. Films characters are from West Virginia and even though it is a comedy it treads a fine line and don't end up being too much of a caricature. There is this whole subtext of American symbols that we hate, like NASCAR, beauty pageants, showy patriotism with love for the forces, being put on a not too judgemental way just like the way characters are also portrayed. Balance is just correct as subtext pretty much stays as subtext without overwhelming what is a very fun film.
So glad to see Steven Soderbergh back working as a director after his retirement announcement a few years back in the above speech, which is a very good listen on the state of the cinema. His main gripe was with the studio controlled distribution model and with Logan Lucky, he did independent distribution. It was a successful effort grossing 45 million on 29 million budget. To get such an ensemble cast on this budget in itself is an achievement and Hillary Swank is also there as the investigating officer who joins pretty late in the film. Daniel Craig was slightly off-putting in the trailer but he is alright in the film.
Soderbergh, besides handling the camera, also edits his films and is someone who works very fast, apparently. The plan for the heist is put up by Channing Tatum as a 10 point notice for Adam Driver with the tenth being a minor spoiler. Soderbergh stayed on the notice long enough for me to get to the ninth point. Wonderful editing, I must say. The father-daughter relationship in the film also worked pretty well, surprisingly enough, and the John Denver Country Roads pageant rendition as well. The initial slow pacing of the film is an Ocean's subversion and it does pickup pace considerably towards the end and you just don't want it to end, which is always great. This is also the way we perceive the Logan boys, a bit slow initially but quite smart by the end.
Rating: 4/5
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