Isn't it odd that it takes a bunch of Australians and Englishmen to make a create the most convincing early American tales? Perhaps it's our history with Bushrangers, but between The Assasination of Jesse James and now Lawless - we've managed to perfect the genre (on the dime of international folk, no less!)
Lawless is a rich, textured and often brutal true story about the infamous Bondurant Brothers. This rag tag bunch of ye olde red necks were a famous bootlegging siblings team who made a run for the American Dream during a Prohibition-era Virginia.
In what is, esentially, The Sopranos with added moonshine, this intense gangster tale (written by Aussie music legend Nick Cave and based on the Matt Bondurant's family novel "The Wettest County in the World") explores the fierce loyalty between the three Bondurant brothers (played to perfection by The Dark Knight Rises' Tom Hardy, Shia LaBeouf and Aussie Jason Clarke) as they are put to the test against the corrupt nature of the police force during one of America's darkest and most notorious crime waves.
There is something so facinating about Prohibition-era flicks (like The Untouchables, etc) because they just say so much about the psychology and animalistic nature of humans, society and the mythology of "The American Dream". It's hard to know who to root for? The law enforcers trying to stop illegal activity (their job), or the crooks who are bending the rules (which seem somewhat ridiculous in our modern times).
Director John Hillcoat delivers yet another fantastically gritty film, following the much underrated Aussie western The Proposition (also written by Cave), with his use of character and unrelenting violence in such a superb way. The story is by no means unpredictable, yet Hillcoat's methods of unravelling the story are, which is what makes it such a treat.
The performances are astounding too. From Guy Pearce delivering one of the creepiest villains we've seen in a long time, to LeBeouf's awe inspiring sense of naievety, to Tom Hardy's undeniable (if not slightly repeated) badass nature, Lawless really covers the gamet of character driven films.
The biggest sticking point, for me, has nothing to do with the film itself... but moreso the fact that Tom Hardy and Gary Oldman are working together AGAIN! They are fast becoming the dramatic version of Ben Stiller and Owen Wilson (or Gene Wilder / Richard Pryor for our... more mature... readers).
A wonderful film and proof once again that when it comes to crime stories - Aussies do it better than anyone! Who said being a contvict nation was a bad thing?
4 out of 5
Lawless Australian release: 11th October, 2012 Official Site:Lawless Cast: Shia LaBeouf, Tom Hardy, Jessica Chastain, Jason Clarke, Guy Pearce, Gary Oldman, Mia Wasikowska, Dane DeHaan Director: John Hillcoat
