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| Official Logan Lucky Poster |
Steven Soderbergh (Ocean’s trilogy and Magic Mike) returns to mainstream cinema with Logan Lucky, after a four year break from directing films. One of the main reasons that led to his retirement was the fact that filmmakers have been losing creative control over their cinematic vision, in favor of whatever the studio wants. So, why is he back, then? Well, for starters, Soderbergh managed to avoid any studio’s pressure by creating a company all by himself.
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Still of Adam Driver and Channing Tatum orchestrating a plan |
He was in control of every aspect related to Logan Lucky; the distribution was handled by him and even the marketing campaign was put into motion by his own company! Business structures aside, let’s dive into the film itself. Logan Lucky is a heist/comedy film that follows the story of the Logans, two brothers who are supposedly jinxed with bad luck. Channing Tatum plays Jimmy Logan, a miner who is fired at the beginning of the movie due to him being an insurance liability, as a result of his limping leg.
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Alternative Logan Lucky Poster |
This is the event that triggers the rest of the film. A couple of scenes on Adam Driver’s Clyde Logan’s bar (Clyde is missing his forearm… Coincidence?) and the two brothers are already elaborating a plan for the job. The job, of course, could not be accomplished without safe breaker expert Joe Bang (quite the accuracy for a surname, am I right?), played by Daniel Craig. Here, Craig treats the audience with a scene stealing bleached-blonde character, proving that he has more to offer, other than being James Bond. The problem, however, resides on Joe Bang being incarcerated, making the success of the plan a bit trickier.
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Still of Daniel Craig, Channing Tatum and Adam Driver having a nice conversation in prison |
In terms of narrative, I will stop here; heist movies are all about the process so there is no need to spoil it for you. The film is incredibly well shot, with Soderbergh exploring alternative angles and intelligently manipulating light. The way the director masterfully composes the frame, captures the attention of the audience (the motif of symmetry or the use of different optical axis being examples). What also caught my eye was the editing, which is seamless and smooth. These aspects obviously factor in when you are considering the cinematography (also achieved by Soderbergh, under a pseudonym) which I think was gorgeous, encompassing the entire film with an artful and authentic look.
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Still of Daniel Craig and Adam Driver getting emotional while the crowd is cheering |
Logan Lucky has some pacing problems, especially in the beginning, mainly because there are key scenes needed to set up later moments. Thankfully, the movie manages to get back on track thanks to its spot on comedy and witty dialogue exchanges. There are also some slow, touching moments, which include a father and daughter bonding (Channing Tatum sells it well).
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Still of Channing Tatum holding his on-screen daughter, Farrah Mackenzie |
Overall, the film works and Soderbergh’s comeback to the industry of filmmaking is more than welcome, bringing us a well-acted, brilliantly constructed and outstandingly filmed movie in the form of Logan Lucky; if it does well financially, it could possibly initiate a trend in Hollywood, in which filmmakers regain full power over their projects. So, if you haven’t already, do yourself a favor and go check it out!
With that being said, I rate Logan Lucky with a B+. But, most importantly, what do you think about Logan Lucky? Jump into the comments’ section down below and leave your thoughts.
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