Lawless is the true story of the infamous Bondurant Brothers: bootlegging siblings who made a run for the American Dream in Prohibition-era Virginia. In this epic gangster tale, inspired by true-life tales of author Matt Bondurant's family in his novel "The Wettest County in the World", the loyalty of three brothers is put to the test against the backdrop of the nation's most notorious crime wave.
For me, this Depression-era crime drama has a lot going for it but slightly misses the mark on being the gangster epic that it strives for. The film greatly benefits from a wonderful cast consisting of Shia LaBeouf, Tom Hardy, Jason Clarke, and Jessica Chastain. Gary Oldman gives a brief but still good turn as the ruthless gangster Floyd Banner while Guy Pearce gives a great scene-stealing performance as the disturbing federal agent Charley Rakes. Pearce manages to make the character fun but also so despicable that you still root for his defeat. Director John Hillcoat succeeds in conveying a gritty and convincing atmosphere of 1930's Virginia, with plenty of creative sequences to go around. It's a bit of the shame that the narrative does not quite work as whole though, as it's bogged down by an unnecessary romance subplot, lack of character arcs, and a too-good-to-be-true happy ending that robs the film of being provoking in a meaningful way. Still recommended viewing though.
I'll give it 6 out of 10 stars. =)
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