"Ocean's 7-11"

A Review of "Logan Lucky" by Nathan H. Box

Director: Steven Soderbergh, Writer: Rebecca Blunt, Starring: Channing Tatum, Adam Driver, Daniel Craig

Rating: 4 Stars, SHOWTIME!

The plot to "Logan Lucky" is simple. Two brothers attempt to pull off a heist during the busiest racing weekend of the year at Charlotte Motor Speedway. From the plot point, things get beautifully complicated. 

We all know the work of Steven Soderbergh. He is the genius mind behind "Ocean's 11, 12, and 13." As a reporter brilliantly points out in the movie, this heist is a lot like "Ocean's 7-11." Instead of the glitz and glamor of the Las Vegas Strip, this movie turns its attention on coal country and the line between West Virginia and North Carolina. 

Like most Americans, this part of the country remains a mystery. I have had the distinct privilege of hiking around the Smoky Mountains and have met some of the people who call this part of the world home. Their southern accents are thick as their humidity. They come across as simple people who live in an area of the country devastated by the loss of jobs and opportunity. Some of their traditions and beliefs should have been retired after the Civil War. Beyond these things, they are just like anyone else in America. 

Channing Tatum's character follows much of what I experienced. He is a divorced and present father. His southern accent and the accents of those around him are slow and focused. Most of the coal jobs are gone and Tatum's character finds himself digging a new money transfer system underneath the Charlotte Motor Speedway. When it is discovered Tatum has a limp, he is fired. With nowhere to turn, he gets desperate. 

His desperation is on full display in a brilliant bar scene where we meet his brother played by Adam Driver. Driver stars as a bartender who lost his hand in Iraq. After some rowdy patrons come through led by Seth MacFarlane, a fight breaks out, Tatum's character reaches his wit's end. Then and there he decides he will be pushed around no longer. 

Calling on his brother, sister, an explosive expert played by Daniel Craig, and his two brothers an intricate plan is devised to take advantage of the cash highway underneath the racetrack. Seeing the pedigree of the talent before you on screen, you automatically think there is no way in hell these individuals can pull the crime of the century off without getting caught. 

Much like the "Ocean's" trilogy, the drama is high and keeps you on the edge of your seat guessing until the very end. Of course, I won't spoil the ending but the whole heist and the impending investigation was a beautiful thing to watch. When it was all over, I was reminded of why we go to the movies. 

Be good to each other, 

-Nathan