"Lawless" came out in 2012. I never heard of it, but it's packed with Hollywood A-Listers. I'm glad we rented it, even though the pace and tension kept me on edge and made me felt uneasy throughout most of the movie. So many people out to kill, steal or hurt so many other people. Who can you trust when the law is as lawless as the lawless?!
"Lawless" is a violent Hollywood gangster film starring Tom Hardy, Shia Labeouf, Jason Clarke, Gary Oldman and Guy Pearce. It is about a family called the Bondurants in 1920's Virginia during the time of Alcohol Prohibition and moonshiners. The biggest crime wave that ever struck the country was a result of misguided legislation to make alcohol illegal, as if making something illegal would mean people would no longer consume it and live a life of purity. For those without an interest in our nation's history, think our modern-day government's War on Drugs and the failures, flaws and dangers it has imposed on our society.
"Lawless" brings you quickly into the Bondurant family's inner household, led by Forrest Bondurant, a charismatic, imposing young man, patriarch of the "indestructible" family, a man of few words, played by Tom Hardy. Shia Lebeouf is the younger brother who seeks independence from the long shadows of his brother as he struggles in the dangerous world of making and selling moonshine in a brutal time where it's every man for himself.
I thought it was Guy Pearce as Charlie Rakes, the psychopathic, corrupt federal lawman that was brought in to "clean up" the area of crime, but I could barely tell. He was so transformed into this despicable villain, I barely recognized him. His character could make your skin crawl. "Lawless" is also an excellent essay on the flaws of "good intentioned" legislation and the perils of careless, one-size fits all laws our country has used to polarize and fracture our society like a cancer these past 100 years. Like alcohol prohibition, by pushing the drug market underground, it inflates the value of drugs, fosters violence, spreads and incentives corruption, victimizes many innocent bystanders, and exposes people to higher levels of risks as opposed to decriminalizing drugs, regulating, and taxing it. There's a softer side to the movie, but their rare sparkles in a dark, gloomy, and dangerous world.
There are also some excellent side-stories, a bit of humor, and a lot of violence involving knife attacks and shootouts. It's not for the weak of heart. My favorite parts are Tom Hardy's character, Forrest, who seems to permeate a lot of likability paired with a determined, principled, and intimidating exterior. Forrest Bondurant is the only moonshiner who stands up to the corrupt system and endures many different attempts on his life. He's insensitive but caring at the same time, a great performance.
My only regret is LaBeouf, who tries a little too hard with his hillbilly accent as he partially narrates different scenes in the movie. He also brings his ability to be the annoying little brother fully into play to add more tension. You're pulling for his character, Jack, you only wish he'd get his act together and stop acting so arrogant.
Overall, I'd give "Lawless" 3 stars out of 4. It does a great job of transporting you back to this "neck of the woods" and those dangerous times. The tension and nervousness throughout the movie is sustained and the pace changes enough between a bit of romance, violent action, and satisfying character development. I wish Guy Pearce's creepy character could have gotten a bit more screen time against Tom Hardy. I hope these guys show up in a movie together again, they're both excellent at transforming into their characters.
It's definitely an 'R' rated movie, but it is a very good production reminiscent of the old gangster movies. It mercilessly thrusts the audience into the Prohibition & Great Depression Eras and highlights this interesting part of our history and Virginia's part in these tumultuous times.
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