Lawless

Starring: Tom Hardy, Shia LaBeouf, Jason Clarke, Guy Pearce, Jessica Chastain, Mia Wasikowska, Dane DeHaan, Gary Oldman
Directed by: John Hillcoat
Rating: R
Genre: Crime, Drama
2012

Times Seen:
Tim: 1

Summary: Three bootlegger brothers (Tom Hardy, Shia LaBeouf, Jason Clarke) face a dangerous threat in a new deputy (Guy Pearce) who wants in on their business.

Review:

Tim: I'm still not completely sure of what to think about Lawless, which is pretty much par for the course with John Hillcoat movies. The guy clearly has talent, but it always feels like there is something missing, or something lacking from his films. They are good, but never good enough. That's a pretty fair assessment of this film as well. I liked it, but I wanted to love it, and could not.

The story of three brothers who are bootleggers during Prohibition is a very interesting one. I first heard about this movie back when it was called "The Wettest County in the World", and I prefer that title to the bland Lawless. Still, it's an interesting story. While Hillcoat delivers in many ways, he never allows the story to reach its full potential. There were many misses throughout the film, which hurt the overall quality.

The cast is pretty good. I like Tom Hardy, and he did give a strong performance here. While his accent and mannerisms were realistic, I found it impossibly difficult to understand what he was saying. I appreciate the attempt at realism, but I wish he had spoken a touch more clearly. It was a struggle to follow him. While he doesn't always have interesting things to do (he mostly stands around looking reserved), he was still an important part of the film. Shia LaBeouf was well cast as the youngest brother, but with Hardy having bulked up to play Bane, LaBeouf seemed a little out of place, and it was hard to believe they were brothers. LaBeouf is a good actor, and I enjoyed his performance. Unfortunately, his character was pretty stupid. He really has the largest role in the film, and yet contributes almost nothing (the character, not LaBeouf). He was just so stupid, and continually created issues for other people. That's fine, but it is hard to love a movie when the character with the most screen time is just so worthless. LaBeouf made the character interesting, but I thoroughly disliked him. The older brother, played by Jason Clarke, really didn't have a whole lot to do.

The supporting cast is pretty good. I like Jessica Chastain, and she really had a few scenes that allowed her to truly shine. She is increasingly proving her worth as a legitimate actress, and I was impressed with her performance here. Guy Pearce is an actor I really like, but his ridiculous, over-the-top character felt more annoying than anything else. I am guessing he based it on the real life guy, but it was almost too much to take. His character never felt like a believable part of the story. I was really glad to see Gary Oldman here, because I love the guy. Unfortunately, his part was a throwaway. There was simply nothing of any substance for him to do. His character felt too separate from the main drama, and there was never any resolution with him. I wanted his character to be more involved. As is, a great actor was wasted in a pointless role. Mia Wasikowska and Dane DeHaan were both enjoyable in smaller supporting roles.

This is a film that definitely earns its "R" rating. The film is violent, and pretty bloody and gruesome. We see a character's throat slit, we see people get shot in the head, and die in all sorts of ways. The blood and the gore are certainly on display here. While they never felt unnecessarily graphic, many scenes aren't easy to watch.

I do like Lawless, but it just felt like something was missing. I was engaged with the characters and the story, especially as it felt like it was building to something at the end. Unfortunately, the big climax was fairly unsatisfying. I know that Hillcoat was constrained because this is based on a true story, but the whole thing felt underwhelming. This movie is nearly 2 hours long, and the payoff at the end just wasn't there. I wanted more from this film, and I left it feeling just a little disappointed.

Like many of Hillcoat's other movies, I felt mildly disappointed, while simultaneously feeling quite impressed by the film's many strengths. In the end, Lawless is a good movie, but one that certainly missed out on achieving its full potential. The individual storylines were interesting, but they needed to conclude in a more meaningful, memorable way. This is a good movie, but it could have been a lot better. I sincerely hope that one of these days, Hillcoat manages to pull everything together and make a truly great film.

Rating 1-10
Tim's Rating: 7



If You Enjoyed This Movie, We Recommend: The Road, The Proposition, Gangster Squad