Logan Lucky (2017): review

Steven Soderbergh's Logan Lucky (2017) is a heist film whose pleasures come as much from its characters and dry humour as from the mechanics of the robbery.

Jimmy and Clyde Logan, played by Channing Tatum and Adam Driver, are West Virginia brothers who seem permanently unlucky. Jimmy's football prospects ended with a leg injury, and now he has lost his construction job. Clyde is a war veteran who lost part of an arm in Iraq and works behind a bar. Facing financial trouble, they plan to rob the Charlotte Motor Speedway during a NASCAR race. Their sister Mellie, played by Riley Keough, and eccentric explosives expert Joe Bang, played by Daniel Craig, join the scheme.

Soderbergh combines humour and suspense in a way that recalls his Ocean's films, but with a more grounded setting. The characters feel distinctive and convincing. Tatum gives Jimmy a sympathetic determination, Driver is excellent as the stoic Clyde, and Craig is a particular delight as Joe Bang, displaying an unexpectedly comic side.

The dialogue is sharp and often wonderfully dry. A standout sequence involves a staged prison riot and a discussion of George R. R. Martin's unfinished book series. The joke works because the film lets these apparently incidental personalities take over the scene without losing control of the larger plan.

The robbery itself is cleverly staged. Soderbergh builds suspense while leaving room for comic interruptions. Precise camerawork supports the construction, revealing some details and quietly holding others back.

Beneath the comedy, Logan Lucky also considers the pressures facing working-class Americans. Its characters struggle with economic insecurity and social prejudice, which gives the film more substance than its playful surface initially suggests.

There are weaknesses. Katherine Waterston's Sylvia Harrison and Hilary Swank's FBI agent Sarah Grayson remain underdeveloped and could have used more time. The relaxed pace will not suit everyone either.

Even so, this is a thoroughly entertaining heist film, carried by charismatic actors, clever direction and a fine sense of humour. Soderbergh once again makes an accessible story whose characters and underlying concerns stay with you afterwards.