Lawless (2012)

Forrest Bondurant: "I'm a Bondurant... and we don't lay down for nobody."

By John Hillcoat
With Shia LaBeouf, Tom Hardy and Jason Clarke

I noticed this movie when it came out last year and got around and got it, but it had been sitting there since November when I finally decided to see it.

During the years of prohibition in the early 1930's, bootlegging was the main illegal activity,which is exactly what the three brothers Bondurant are doing. Howard and Forrest are the oldest and they are tough guys who don't take any remarks from anybody and don't hesitate to get into fights. The youngest, Jack, is having trouble finding his place in the family business despite his ambitions. The Bondurant who all survived through many incidents are locally known as immortals, but when the law sends a tough and eccentric social deputy - Charlie Rakes, an open war starts.

I had mistakenly took Lawless for a Western, a genre that has rarely produced anything good since the 1960's, with a few exceptions, such as Clint Eastwood's Unforgiven. That's why I wasn't that enthusiastic, but I was pleasantly surprised both by the era and setting. The movie is beautifully shot and turned out more brutal and violent than I thought. I think Tom Hardy shines the most in his role. What disappointed me was mostly the lack of characters development. The role of Gary Oldman is more of the cameo range as we only see him for a few minutes. The story is also quite predictable, which might be attributed to the fact that it is based on a true story. The music is always enjoyable, which didn't surprise me much as the screenplay was written by musician Nick Cave.

I liked: Guy Pearce. Prohibition in rural Virginia. Beautiful landscapes.

I disliked: Shortcomings in terms of dialogues, story line and characters.

65/100
Quite a decent crime movie, especially for those into gangster life. This might feel like an Al Capone road trip to the countryside.