By Lindsey Bahr, AP Film Writer
"Logan Lucky " is an easy movie to like, but maybe not love.
In his big return to film after a four-year hiatus (or retirement, if it can even be called that now), Steven Soderbergh has created a sort of cinematic bingo of his well of tricks. Heist movie? Check. Channing Tatum? Check. Not so subtle metaphors slipped in to genre stories about the state of the working class man? Check. Dopey but reliable sidekick brothers? Check, check, check.
That's not to say that "Logan Lucky" has nothing new to offer — it just feels unshakably familiar in a way that could irk some and feel like home to others.
The setting for this heist is West Virginia, where Tatum's Jimmy Logan has just been laid off from his coal mining job because one of the higher-ups spotted him walking around with a limp. Like a distant cousin to Magic Mike, who supplemented waning construction work with stripping, Jimmy Logan is another side of the American dream dashed. Once a high school football star with a promising future, Jimmy has ended up in the same place where he began, only slightly worse. He's also got a young daughter, Sadie (a precocious and adorable Farrah Mackenzie), and an ex-wife (Katie Holmes) who has traded up for a middle class husband (David Denman) and may be moving across state lines imminently.
His brother, Clyde Logan (Adam Driver) is a slow-talkin' bartender who lost one of his arms serving in Iraq, but can still make a killer martini when an arrogant NASCAR sponsor played by Seth MacFarlane challenges him. And his sister, Mellie Logan (Riley Keough), is a no-nonsense hairdresser who wears acrylics, drives a stick and has no time for try-hards like her ex-sister-in-law's new husband.
The Logans, simply, are not going anywhere anytime soon, which is why they decide to try to take something back from the institutions that have failed to share the wealth with the people who support them. Their plan? To intercept the cash flow at a big NASCAR race.
They gather up some help in an incarcerated demolition savant, Joe Bang (Daniel Craig, who is hilarious), and his knucklehead but shrewd-enough brothers Fish (Jack Quaid) and Sam (Brian Gleeson) who say things like they "know all the things there is to know about computers" while playing horseshoes with toilet seats.
Suffice it to say, this is not some verite look at the world of coal miners and NASCAR lovers, nor is it an all-out comedy a la "Talladega Nights: The Ballad of Ricky Bobby." Rather, it's an interesting combination of the two, closest, probably to Adam McKay's "The Big Short" but a lot sillier.
"Logan Lucky" throws in bits about charity health workers providing shots to the underprivileged West Virginians next to MacFarlane sporting a Rick James wig and a British accent. For all its wildness, "Magic Mike" was done with a straight face and happened to be about something more than male strippers. "Logan Lucky," despite the social conscious, is slightly more trivial.
And unlike "Magic Mike," it never really feels like it's about the people it's about — it is all surface. You're always very keenly aware you're watching movie stars who are just playing at being hillbillies. That's not a bad thing — especially when you've got a batch of charismatic personalities hamming it up in trucker hats without condescending to their subjects.
It's a gimmick, however enjoyable, that goes on a little too long, with a few too many tangents that can't sustain the pulsating energy of, say, any of the Ocean's movies.
But, flaws aside, it is a darn good heist, and sure to leave you with a smile on your face. We should be glad Soderbergh is back, hopefully this time for good.
"Logan Lucky," a Bleecker Street release, is rated PG-13 by the Motion Picture Association of America for "language and some crude comments." Running time: 119 minutes. Two and a half stars out of four.
Sinners and Saints Adds Apple Pie To Its Branded Menu
Bicoastal Sinners and Saints--the multidisciplinary studio overseen by managing director/executive producer Heather Heller, and partners/EPs Yann Henric and Thomas Carroll--has added Apple Pie Tabletop to its roster for branded content. Known for its food and beverage content creation, Apple Pie comprises the husband-and-wife team of director/DP Gene Dubin and director/art director Alisa Volodina. In addition to representation, the move expands Apple Pie’s production capabilities through the combination of its centrally located full-service studio in New York and a newly established mobile studio in Los Angeles. Apple Pie recently teamed with Sinners and Saints on a Wienerschnitzel project created by Innocean.
“We believe that our dual studio strategy positions us uniquely in the competitive landscape of food and beverage storytelling,” said Heller. “By blending the artistry of the New York studio with the flexibility of our Los Angeles location, we can tailor our productions to meet the unique demands of each project, regardless of geography.”
“Working with Sinners and Saints in the demanding field of tabletop was an absolute pleasure,” shared Apple Pie Tabletop in a joint statement. “Warm welcome, unwavering support and dedication--everything a director can ask for. The entire experience was both enjoyable and rewarding. We will not miss an opportunity to collaborate with them again.”
“The first thing you notice is that Apple Pie has beautiful work,” Heller observed. “Having worked with them, I can say that Gene and Alisa are extremely meticulous and detail-oriented; their combination of talent and agility appeals to agencies and clients.” Also appealing to Heller is Apple Pie Tabletop’s brisk international... Read More