In Prohibition-era Virginia, bootlegging brothers Forrest
(Tom Hardy), Howard (Jason Clarke), and Jack (Shia LaBeouf) Bondurant are
legendary for their toughness and the quality of their moonshine. When they
refuse to give in to a corrupt new district attorney’s attempt to tax them,
ruthless special deputy Charlie Rakes (Guy Pearce) is brought in from Chicago
to shut them down. Against this conflict, enterprising Jack court’s a preacher’s
daughter (Mia Wasikowska) and Forrest takes on Maggie (Jessica Chastain), a
former dancer looking to escape her past, as a waitress.
Lawless is based on The Wettest County in the World by Matt
Bondurant (grandson/grand-nephew of the protagonists), a book noted for its
lyrical descriptions of backcountry violence. As far as that goes, the material
could not have found a better match than director John Hillcoat and
screenwriter/composer Nick Cave. The duo that captured the brutality of the Australian
Outback so memorably in The Proposition
does the same for the Virginia foothills here. The bluegrass soundtrack, most
of the accents (impressive, given the predominately Austro/English cast), and
especially the distrust/contempt for the law and acceptance of violence as a
way of life all lend a strong sense of place, time, and texture to the
on-screen presentation.
This stylistic sharpness serves to uplift what is otherwise a
decidedly average film. Hardy is in great form as Forrest, a laconic war
veteran who balks at change and packs a mean punch. But LaBeouf, looking like a
second-rate imitation of Joseph Gordon-Levitt, is decidedly irksome as Jack, an
ambitious whelp who manages to put everyone around him in danger (not good
qualities for the film’s narrator and main character). Chastain feels wasted as
a one-note “hooker with a heart of gold” archetype as does Gary Oldman, who
briefly stops by to chew scenery as city gangster Floyd Banner. Pearce, on the
other hand, pulls off quite the villainous turn as Rakes, a despicable dandy
who will stop at nothing to get his way. However, the character’s malevolence
often reaches outright absurd proportions, and one can’t help but wonder if the
producers felt this exaggeration necessary to gather audience sympathy for the
violent, law-breaking hillbillies that he opposes.
While it is unfortunate that Lawless’ inner workings can’t match the strength of its outer shell,
the blend of bloody and beautiful is a draw all its own.
7.75/10
