One of my most anticipated films of 2012 was Lawless, based solely on the strength of
director John Hillcoat's last two pictures, The
Proposition and The Road. Closest
in spirit to the former, Lawless is a
Prohibition-era Western adapted from The
Wettest County in the World by Matt Bondurant, a descendent of the
protagonists. The script was adapted by rock star and screenwriter Nick Cave.
The story is set in Franklin County, Virginia, where the
hills are alive with the sound of moonshine stills. Bootleg liquor has become a
lucrative business, especially for the Bondurant Brothers, who run booze out of
their diner/gas station. Forrest (Tom Hardy) is nominally the leader, feared
and respected for his legendary toughness. Howard (Jason Clarke) is a volatile
war veteran. Then, there's the runt of the litter, Jack (Shia LaBeouf). The
youngest of the Bondurant clan, Jack wants to become a bigger part of the
operation, but is relegated to being a glorified delivery boy. He impresses his
brothers when he lands a deal with feared Chicago gangster Floyd Banner (Gary
Oldman). The Bondurants are flush with cash. Jack finds himself in fancy new
duds, fast cars, and romancing the town preacher's chaste daughter Bertha (Mia
Wasikowska).
The good times come to an end with the arrival of a big city
prosecutor, who is more interested in getting a cut of the profits than
throwing criminals in jail. Anyone who doesn't fall in line answers to his
enforcer, a brutal special deputy named Charlie Rakes (Guy Pearce).
The story of Lawless
unfolds through wildly divergent tones, which may be disconcerting to some, but
plays into the dichotomy of the characters. Despite a frightening capacity for
brutality, it is an absolute last resort for Forrest, who believes the bonds of
family are most important. His credo, "It’s
not the violence that sets a man apart, it's the distance he's prepared to
go." There are scenes of extreme violence, such as a character getting
his throat slit and a castration. In between there are tender moments in Jack's
sweet courting of Bertha and surprisingly funny scenes. At one point, Jack and
his sidekick, Cricket (Dane DeHaan) refuel their rundown truck with a jar of
moonshine.
Forrest Bondurant isn't too dissimilar from Bane as both see
Tom Hardy cut an imposing figure with a barely discernible voice. He speaks
with a deep mumble and commands attention in each of his scenes. Shia LaBeouf
stars in his usual plucky underdog role while Jason Clarke's Howard is hardly
given any screen time to develop. The same goes for Mia Wasikowska and Jessica
Chastain as a former big city girl with an eye for Forrest. Both are great
actresses and the make the most out of roles that are sadly underwritten. Meanwhile, Gary Oldman's part amounts to a
cameo though he's excellent for the little time he's around. The spotlight of Lawless belongs to Guy Pearce in an
eccentric and chilling turn as a dastardly dandy, bordering on Dick Tracy
villain. Clad in a dandy suit with slicked hair parted in the middle and dress
gloves, Rakes stands as a stark contrast to the earthy country folk. And, for some
reason, he has no eyebrows.
Adding to the atmosphere is an O Brother, Where Art Thou-esque soundtrack of bluegrass tunes put
together by Cave and composer Warren Ellis with vocals by Ralph Stanley and
Emmylou Harris. Rather than choosing 1930's standards, they go anachronistic
with an original tune, "Midnight Run," by Willie Nelson and a montage
set to a cover of Velvet Underground's "White Light/White Heat."
Lawless might not
match up to The Proposition, but it
is a solid period piece with delicious mix of action and drama.
Rating; *** (*****)
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