Lawless- Grade: A

Starring: Tom Hardy (The Dark Knight Rises, Inception), Shia LaBeouf (Transformers), Guy Pearce (Memento), Jason Clarke (Public Enemies), Jessica Chastain (The Help)
Directed By: John Hillcoat (The Proposition, The Road)
Release Date: August 29, 2012
Opening Weekend: $9,700,000
Rating: R
Run Time: 1Hr 55Min
Synopsis: Resilient and loyal group of Bondurant brothers make a profit selling illegal Moonshine during the Prohibition Era. When corrupt new deputy rolls into town and threatens their business, the brothers must decide how to fight back.

The Bondurant Brothers.

So How Was It?: Violent, suspenseful and slow burning; Lawless is a powerful film about family, power and how far you're willing to go to protect them. With a strong cast and screenplay, it becomes one of those rare films that you wish was just a few scenes longer.

The film works so well because it takes its time setting up the Bondurant Brothers. We see their moments of weakness and stupidity, resilience and strength and most passionately, their love and their loyalty. We can see ourselves in them and the choices they make, no matter how dumb or stubborn they seem. The Bondurant brothers differ from your average "good guys" because they're allowed to be human and consequently more accessible. Without this, Lawless would run the risk of being just another easily forgettable big guy vs. the little guy story.

Guy Pearce as Charlie Rakes.

Acting Wise: Best performance: Shia LaBeouf. It was really hard to pick a best out of such an impressive cast but LaBeouf manages to win by a hair. He fully inhabits the wide eyed, emotional naivety of the youngest Bondurant Brother, Jack. LaBeouf has several scenes that are heavy on the emotional scale and he delivers everytime. His character's response to some tragic news toward the end of the film is an especially powerful scene to watch. Also noteworthy; his interactions with the lovely Bertha Minnix (played by Mia Wasikowska)

Tom Hardy  comes in at a very close second. His portrayal of Forrest Bondurant is probably the highlight of the film. Forrest is a quiet, calculating man of few words that could have easily become a cold and distant presence. Hardy brings an underlying warmth and sympathy to his character, often times with the smallest of gestures. It's amazing how many things can be interpreted from one little Forrest Bondurant grunt.

Tied for third place is the criminally underrated Guy Pearce and the stunning Jessica Chastain. Pearce's physical transformation into Charlie Rakes is already disturbing enough but combine that with his chilling performance and you've got one highly unsettling villain. As one of the film's only females, Chastain's presence is a welcomed break from all the high strung machismo but not necessarily a complete departure from it. Chastain brings her own resilient strength to Maggie Beauford, proving that she is just as much a helpful part of the team as any of the Bondurant boys.

There wasn't a single bad apple in the entire cast. All of the other supporting roles (Mia Wasikowska, Dane DeHaan, Jason Clarke, etc) were equally as mesmerizing to watch.

Tom Hardy as Forrest Bondurant.

From a technical standpoint: It looks likes director John Hillcoat may have been influenced by his own critically acclaimed Australian film, The Proposition. Both films have the same nitty, gritty, almost sephia toned color to them. Although The Proposition's Australian Outback may seem worlds away from Lawless' sprawling Virginia woods, both landscapes have the same vast, isolated almost hopeless feel to them. They're nearly as big a character in the films as the people in it.

Not since O' Brother Where Art Thou? has a movie's soundtrack been as memorable and fitting of its era as Lawless'. (both soundtracks include the haunting voices of Emmylou Harris and Ralph Stanley)

Shia LaBeouf and Mia Wasikowska.

Best Scene: The final showdown between the Bondurant Brothers and Charlie Rakes. It's bloody. It's brutal and its brilliant. It will definitely leave you hanging on the edge of your seat.

Shia LaBeouf engages in a bloody firefight.

Editorial Commentary: Why tease audiences with the promise of a gangster Gary Oldman when you only use him in 5 minutes of the film?? Its cruel and unusual false advertising!

Oh and Forrest Bondurant's wardrobe? Never has a cardigan sweater looked so good...

Jessica Chastain as the beautiful Maggie Beauford.

To See or Not to See?: SEE IT. The costumes and the performances warrant the ticket prices alone.


Trailer:

WARNING:  SPOILERS

For Those Who Saw It: How cute a couple were Jack Bondurant and Bertha Minnix? That entire scene with the car ride and the dress was one of my favorites.

Also: I haven't come this close to having a heart attack while watching a movie since Paranormal Activity. Jesus Christ, Forrest Bondurant! Between the throat slitting and the multiple gun shots, I think he had enough close calls with death to warrant a role in the next Final Destination film.