Customer Reviews

Lawless [Blu-ray]

5 star:		(5)
4 star:		(3)
3 star:		(5)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(1)

 

 

went to watch this in the cinema last night,and can honestly say one of the best films ive watched!!!!if your into 'man' films you'll love it.cant decide if i like it more than goodfellas yet but am going to preorder it so i can it watch again and again until i make up my mind!!!shia la beouf and tom hardy are brilliant,storyline is brilliant and the ending is soooo good!funny, and thrilling!!!highly recommended!!!

Bursts of savage violence, fine acting from a top class cast and atmospheric direction grace "Lawless" a semi-biographical crime drama set in at the height of prohibition Virginia. Reuniting director John Hillcoat and writer Nick Cave, the creative team behind the excellent Australian drama "The Proposition", Lawless" follows the travails of the Bondurant brothers (Forrest, Jack and Howard played respectively by Tom Hardy, Shia LaBeouf and Jason Clarke) a family of bootleggers who clash with a sadistic Chicago law enforcer by the name of Rakes (Guy Pearce) sent to Franklin County demanding payment from bootleggers for the privilege of supplying moonshine without reprisal from the law. Headed by the thoughtful but when necessary violent Forrest, the Bondurant brothers refuse to comply and war ensues between the outlaws and lawmen. Thrown into the mix is a pair of romantic subplots involving Forrest and a runaway Chicago dancer named Maggie (Jessica Chastain) and the youngest Bondurant Jack with a preacher's daughter played by Mia Wasikowski.

Quickly establishing the outlaws as heroes and lawmen as villains "Lawless" occupies a middle ground between mainstream gangster action and art house drama. When the inevitable violence comes it's quick and suitably horrific. Characters are tarred and feathered, there's a graphic throat slitting and a particularly nasty beating dished out by Rakes to Jack. Yet this is not a gratuitously violent picture and as vicious as Forrest and Howard (a shell-shocked, often drunken war veteran who operates largely as additional muscle) can be to protect their livelihood there is never any question of which side we're rooting for. Sleazy, cruel and foppish almost to the point of caricature Rakes is a pantomime but effective movie villain through and through. His character exists to make life as difficult as possible for the outlaws and be generally repulsive. In this regard Guy Pearce does strong work getting us to hate Rakes. Another colourful villain is supplied by Gary Oldman in little more than an extended cameo role as a Chicago mobster. Reminiscent of the kind of flamboyant bad guys the actor was once famous for it's a distractingly brief part leaving us wanting more Oldman.

Amongst the aforementioned bloodshed valuably tender moments are provided through the strikingly well played female leads though the romance involving Jack and a preacher's sheltered daughter feels slight and underdeveloped. Chastain's dancer fares better, her chemistry with Tom Hardy and steely fortitude when caught between Rakes' men and the brothers is always compelling. While the drama focuses somewhat on Jacks journey from "runt of the litter" to becoming a major cog in his brothers operation the standout performance and main reason to seek the film out comes from the ever charismatic Tom Hardy. Drawing laughs through Forrest's taciturn nature, commanding and compulsively watchable his performance is the highlight in a film that also boasts a darkly humorous streak that allows for several unexpected laughs. With lyrical imagery to go with its brutality "Lawless" may not have many new tricks up its sleeve but it is constantly watchable and entertaining if a fine shot shy of greatness.

Fun in short bursts with great scenery chewing performances from Guy Pearce and Tom Hardy. Ultimately Lawless is damaged by the tonal shifts, jumping from good ol' boys Deep South crime comedy/drama to an incredibly violent, dark thriller. That and the story is full of problems, whether its plausibility or motivation. The biggest issue I had is casting scores of excellent actors and giving them nothing to do (Mia Wasikowska, Gary Oldman and Jessica Chastain). Let's not forget an unwarranted epilogue that adds nothing to the film. Yes, it's fun and yes it passes the time, but I expected more than that. This film was directed by John Hillcoat and written by Nick Cave, the men behind one of the best westerns of recent years in the proposition. Lawless doesn't even begin to measure up.

Its an ok film, some will like it and some will wonder why we did not see more action... but it is based on a true story and its raw enough for the period when it happened, so there was no need for over dramatics in this nice time-line style film. 07/10

Excellent performances from Tom Hardy, Shia Labeuf yes him from Transformers, Gary Oldman, Guy Pearce and Jessica Chastain in this film about gangster brothers and their run in with the cops during the Great Depression make this very tense film well worth a watch. While the brothers that run the bootlegging in small town America are thugs Guy Pearce as a federal agent determined to bring them in is even worse. Tension throughout becomes almost unbearable with some superb shootouts between the brothers and federal agents this is a great gangster film that deserves to be recognized as one of the all time great gangster films. It is perhaps a bit on the slow side in places but the tension and performances keep you glued. Tom Hardy and Jessica Chastain are becoming names to watch giving 2 of their best performances while Shia Labeuf proves there is more to him than cgi movies with a very good performance and Guy Pearce and Gary Oldman is also excellent. Very well directed too.

Tom Hardy is no doubt the best thing in this movie. His hard man image is second to none. The plot is ok, but nothing special. I did actually enjoy this movie but I felt a little let down my the ending. I do not want to ruin it for anyone but I'm sure you will know what I'm talking about when you watch it. Guy Pearce is great as the bad guy, but I couldn't help and wonder why on earth they wasted the genius of Gary Oldman. He would have fit the bad guy role so much better. You will watch this once, and after put in on your shelf and will probably not touch it again for a long time. Overall Lawless failed to hit the high standard I was hoping for it.

Based on the true story of three bootlegging brothers in 1931 Virginia, the film has actors such as
Shia Labour, British actor Tom Hardy and Australian Jason Clarke and these make up Bondurant brothers, who are moonshiners in Franklin County trying to protect their booming illegal `still' operation from a less, than what appears to be, a puritanical crackdown fronted by a Special Deputy named Rakes, a part played with a memorable fury and pristine dandy like Guy Pearce, I might add that his acting steals the 'show'.

There are spurts of blood, gangsters and corrupt cops; Lawless does not quite hit the mark and succeed at building convincing portraits of its characters, within the narrative.
The art department have made a convincing period piece and have added heaps of battered vintage signage and other visual iconography which add to the colour and texture of the prohibition days. The official sound track is done rather well and is laden with folksy bluegrass songs; please see my separate review of the OST.

Lawless does take its time to get to the `meat of the movie', after an hour or so, when Jack Bondurant ( played by Shia Lebeouf's ) starts selling liquor to gangster Floyd Banner (played by Gary Oldman, his role is brief) With the beginning of this new partnership the law, both local and state, pressure in on the brothers.

The film is violent, and the images linger: you will see a man tarred and feathered and dumped as warning; Tom Hardy's throat being slit from ear to ear; a women who you see at the beginning, of what is implied is going to be a brutal rape, Floyd Banner hitting Noah Taylor with a spade; and by far the worse for me was Pearce sneering in disgust as he gets blood on his lilac leather gloves after bashing Shia Lebeouf's face, who is begging for mercy. The women in this narrative are either victims, gullible or happy house wives. Although On the whole I enjoyed the movie, however, I can see why there maybe detractors.

a brilliant film/definately one of the best films i have ever seen/guy pearce is amazing/he deserves an oscar for his performance

Absolutely brilliant could not find a fault for this film if you're a fan of boardwalk empire or not ull love this second best film of the year behind the dark knight rises

A starry cast, a sleek story and some wonderful cinematography make Lawless one of the films of the year. If only then, it was not for the need to act like it owns the rights to nearly every other film of it's ilk. It also never quite fulfills the promises it makes in the emotional department despite some fine acting on show. It is a noble effort at telling a story about loyalty and family bonds but you cant help but feel you have seen it all before.
The direction is fine and there are some epic moments littered throughout. The cast are all terrific, even if the two main female leads are fodder for conventional plot devices, Shia is wonderful and rings out a foreboding presence as the film wears on. Take away the Transformers from the boy and it appears he matures into a nuanced actor of some stature. the same theory can be applied(in a differing aspect) to the character he plays too. Oldman is underused but integral to the film's story and Hardy is all pounding heart and brawn to match but the constant grunting will put you off. But it is Guy Pearce that steals the show as the corrupt detective, a million miles away from the copper he portrayed in L.A. Confidential, he is all creepy menace and slightly camp in his authority and demeanour.It is that good a performance i would campaign for an Oscar nod to come his way.
It is not as cutting or as interesting as Hillcoat's other work but perhaps it's charm is to be a little more entertaining. The old fashioned kind, that at its most primal, always wins the day.