Greetings again from the darkness. When we think of public figures retiring, we typically accept that athletes, politicians and entertainers will no longer be honing their craft or grinding in their profession. Perhaps they will write their memoirs, or even dodge TMZ completely by spending their days fishing or playing golf. When Oscar winning film director Steven Soderbergh announced he was "retiring" from making movies after his 2013 SIDE EFFECTS, he simply transitioned to television (excellence in "The Knick"). Most of us assumed it was only a matter of time until he returned to the medium that made him famous. This "retirement" lasted less than 4 years.
When a line in the film describes it as "Ocean's 7-11", we can assume this is Mr. Soderbergh admitting that his "Ocean's" trilogy was the inspiration for this comedy-satire heist film focusing on a well-planned crime by a team of siblings, rednecks and convicts. Channing Tatum, Adam Driver and Riley Keough star as the Logan clan – Jimmy, Clyde, and Mellie, respectively. With NASCAR as the target, the Logans are joined by the Bangs: Sam (Brian Gleeson), Fish (Jack Quaid), and Joe (a scene-stealing bleached blonde Daniel Craig).
Joining in the unconventional Hicksville fun are Katie Holmes and David Denman as Jimmy's ex-wife and her new husband, a recently shorn Sebastian Stan as a race car driver, Seth MacFarlane as an obnoxiously rich blow-hard, Katherine Waterston in a too-brief role as a traveling medic, Hilary Swank as a determined FBI Agent, and Dwight Yoakum as a prison warden who rarely admits a problem. Also playing a key role is the music of John Denver a move that teeters between tribute and punchline.
The set up and characters lend themselves to more laughter than we actually experience. There are more awkward moments than hilarious ones. As examples, brother Clyde's (Driver) artificial hand is the center of focus on a few occasions, as are Joe Bang's (Craig) expertise in science, and the small town West Virginia addiction to child beauty pageants. Their racetrack robbery plan is both ingenious and preposterous, which is also a fitting description of the film.
A writing credit goes to "Rebecca Blunt", which in keeping with Soderbergh's tradition, is a pseudonym (or nom de plume) for an unnamed writer (likely Soderbergh himself). The film mostly succeeds in delivering the opposite of the traditional Ocean's slickness, and it's entertaining to watch Channing Tatum and Daniel Craig (the credits list him as "introducing Daniel Craig) having such a good time on screen. While it doesn't deliver the laughs of FREE FIRE or TALLADEGA NIGHTS, it is nice to have Soderbergh back where he belongs. Rather than an instant classic, it's more likely to be remembered for Soderbergh's attempt to change the movie distribution channels Google can provide the details if you are interested.
When a line in the film describes it as "Ocean's 7-11", we can assume this is Mr. Soderbergh admitting that his "Ocean's" trilogy was the inspiration for this comedy-satire heist film focusing on a well-planned crime by a team of siblings, rednecks and convicts. Channing Tatum, Adam Driver and Riley Keough star as the Logan clan – Jimmy, Clyde, and Mellie, respectively. With NASCAR as the target, the Logans are joined by the Bangs: Sam (Brian Gleeson), Fish (Jack Quaid), and Joe (a scene-stealing bleached blonde Daniel Craig).
Joining in the unconventional Hicksville fun are Katie Holmes and David Denman as Jimmy's ex-wife and her new husband, a recently shorn Sebastian Stan as a race car driver, Seth MacFarlane as an obnoxiously rich blow-hard, Katherine Waterston in a too-brief role as a traveling medic, Hilary Swank as a determined FBI Agent, and Dwight Yoakum as a prison warden who rarely admits a problem. Also playing a key role is the music of John Denver a move that teeters between tribute and punchline.
The set up and characters lend themselves to more laughter than we actually experience. There are more awkward moments than hilarious ones. As examples, brother Clyde's (Driver) artificial hand is the center of focus on a few occasions, as are Joe Bang's (Craig) expertise in science, and the small town West Virginia addiction to child beauty pageants. Their racetrack robbery plan is both ingenious and preposterous, which is also a fitting description of the film.
A writing credit goes to "Rebecca Blunt", which in keeping with Soderbergh's tradition, is a pseudonym (or nom de plume) for an unnamed writer (likely Soderbergh himself). The film mostly succeeds in delivering the opposite of the traditional Ocean's slickness, and it's entertaining to watch Channing Tatum and Daniel Craig (the credits list him as "introducing Daniel Craig) having such a good time on screen. While it doesn't deliver the laughs of FREE FIRE or TALLADEGA NIGHTS, it is nice to have Soderbergh back where he belongs. Rather than an instant classic, it's more likely to be remembered for Soderbergh's attempt to change the movie distribution channels Google can provide the details if you are interested.