User reviews

Reading the other reviews, I'm amused by the number of reviewers who don't have a clue about how southern rural hill people behave (and esp. behaved back in the 1920s). They accuse Hardy, and to some extent LaBeouf, of bad acting because their characters are so laconic (that means they don't run off at the mouth a lot) and inward and don't wear every emotion on their sleeves. Then they mightily praise Oldman and Pearce for great acting when they were, in fact, just playing northern urban gangsters who like to behave over the top---the very thing that disgusts southern sensibilities.

The folks making those review comments have probably spent too much time watching movies based on comic books and not enough time with dramatic characters representing actual human beings. So don't pay attention to their noise.

Instead, watch the flick. It's good. I enjoyed it.

Hold it everyone! Don't be put off because this has Shia Le Beouf in it. Yes, some of you loath him for the Transformers movies, Indy 4 and plenty of other stuff. However, in this one he manages to find a good vehicle to change his tact.

We are in prohibition time, in the countryside in Virginia. The men are tough and they enforce their own law protecting their moonshine businesses. However they aren't the cringing redneck cliché of many other films; this isn't Deliverance. This is a dark movie where it seems those outwith of the religious community live and survive by force. In comes law enforcers from outside led by a sadistic sergeant, and we have an explosive mix.

Again, don't get the wrong impression. This film isn't about gung-ho good v evil. This is a lot more. Based on a true story (albeit likely taking big liberties with the truth), this is about the relationship of three brothers: two are ruthless whilst the third (Le Beouf) is weak. They look out for each other and that's the real nub.

Action comes generally in short sharp moments, but thankfully doesn't detract from the rest of the movie. Surprisingly some great acting and great camera work.

Personally, I enjoyed this very much. Ending was the only bit I was disappointed with but rest was very good. Give it a try, you may be surprised with what you find.

Lawless is the story of the three Bondurant brothers from Franklin County, Virginia, Tom Hardy, Jason Clarke, and the runt of the litter Shia LaBoeuf. Before World War I the Bondurants made a good living selling moonshine, but now Prohibition has arrived and there are new problems on the horizon for those in that business.

One of the most colossal pieces of stupidity that America ever indulged in was Prohibition. We actually amended our constitution so that we could regulate morals. A good lesson for those who think regulation of one's personal behavior is a desired thing. What the Bondurants have to deal with is law enforcement which is in the form of a corrupt District Attorney Tim Tolin.

An idea like Prohibition is sure to bring out the corruption in many who see it as a way to take bribes. Tolin is one of those and he has a special deputy in Guy Pearce ready to enforce the law and those who don't bribe. That would be the Bondurants and we have the makings of an old fashioned mountain feud brewing.

LaBoeuf has a lot of trouble living up to the legend his brothers have created. In fact his weakness is the cause of a lot of problems. But when a young mountain kid Dane DeHaan is murdered by Pearce that gets a war started.

Both LaBoeuf and Pearce deliver some standout performances in Lawless. This is based on a novelization of some real incidents by a descendant of the Bondurant family. The recreation of Prohbition era rural Virginia is well done. Definitely worth a look.

Lawless was extremely well filmed, looked great and stayed true to year it was set in. The cast was strong and all delivered good performances, especially Tom Hardy, who once again showed how much of a versatile actor he is. Shia LaBeouf was also a stand out performer for me.

The plot is simple but easy to follow. There are some extremely gruesome scenes and some bits of good gun action. Apart from a few scenes, the film was pretty much just dialouge. There wasn't much going on really. It was a decent film but ultimately it is something that I won't remember in a few weeks. I can see why some have rated it so highly, I guess this just isn't the sort of thing I normally like. It was good but I wouldn't watch it again.

7/10.

Lawless has a great cast - Shia LaBeouf, Tom Hardy, Gary Oldman, Guy Pearce. - And a great story about three brother's growing up in Depression- era Virginia and based on a true story. The three brother's are bootleggers, but when a special deputy and other police figures want a cut of their action, their whole world turns upside down.

Everything seemed too good to be true. The cast, the story, everything. And it was, but only a little bit. The film was great, very enjoyable to watch, great acting from everyone involved. But the film, I felt, lacked something. I didn't feel connected to any of the characters, as in they felt too two-dimensional. I didn't really feel how they felt at certain points and it should have showed the brotherhood more instead of opting for blood and violence. I think the film needed to be more humorous, because it needed something to ease the tension between those bloody scenes and I think that was it.

Shia LaBeouf was very good and Tom Hardy was even better. Even the smaller roles like Gary Oldman's character were acted well. I think it spent too much time on the whole romance aspect of it and it should have laid off of that a bit more. But the acting was great from everyone and it was an enjoyable time at the cinema. It is a good film, but didn't live up to the expectations I had.

A solid 7/10.

This film was very well done in giving us that 1920s vibe when alcohol was prohibited during that time. Be aware that it is very intense and quite gory in some scenes so it's definitely not for the fainted heart!

I really like The Proposition so this reteam of Hillcoat and writer Nick Cave, who since he composed the greatest score in cinematic history in The Assassination of Jesse James can do no wrong in my eyes, was very promising, especially with a set piece and era that we haven't seen in a long while. Unfortunately, Lawless is tedious through and through. It's sequences go from bursts of heartless violence to development-less talking. The problem is its atmosphere, which could also be attributed to the choice of digital photography. It tries to be gritty, with its music hinting back to one of my favourite western TV shows, Deadwood, but the slick cinematography is just completely lifeless. It just feels like nobody's heart was truly in it (besides Guy Peace's menacing villain) with no chemistry between anyone. It was a huge mistake to try and force some romance subplots in here. There's nothing too bad about Lawless, besides its humourless and cold approach, it's just disappointingly average given the talent.

6/10

'Lawless' is definitely a great film but there's something missing.

The acting is really strong; Tom Hardy's performance is probably his best so far. His voice is so different to his normal voice which really highlights how he has worked hard on his performance. I was really surprised by Shia LaBeouf's performance, he's never really impressed me but he gave a great performance here. He really proved that he could do some proper acting in the future and hopefully move away from the 'Transformers' series. Mia Wasikowska and Jessica Chastain both perform well but their roles are wasted here. They have no real purpose in the film and are merely there as love interests. It wouldn't have been such an issue if they had gotten any actress for these roles but they instead chose two of the best rising stars with huge amounts of talent. Guy Pierce is outstanding here but his role becomes almost comical towards the end. He gives a great performance though and is quite disturbing. Gary Oldman gives a really good performance but has only 5 minutes screen time! It seems like such a waste, it would have been interesting to see his character included in the plot a lot more.

Overall this film was fantastic but there was a few things that director John Hillcoat could have improved that would have made this film truly brilliant, such as giving more characters some crucial screen time. The violence was not really an issue; I don't think it diverted the film away from anything which is good. It contained the right amount of violence for the film and shouldn't put anyone off from watching this.

This movie is based on a book written by a relative of some of the main characters depicted in this movie...just looked up Wikipedia, and the author was Matt Bondurant, whose grandfather, Jack Bondurant, is called "the runt of the litter" of the Bondurant brothers featured in this tale of moonshiners in the age of Prohibition in America. That book was called "The wettest county in the world" and the title refers to how much illegal alcohol was produced in that area. The novel was adapted for cinema by Australian alternative rock icon Nick Cave.

The story concerns how the Bondurant's once cozy relationship with sympathetic rural police is changed by the arrival of a corrupt Chicago law enforcement officer, Charlie Rakes (played by Australian Guy Pearce), who wants a cut of the Bondurant's illegal liquor business. Forrest Bondurant (Tom Hardy) is not one to cave in to these demands. Things get ugly, but there is some romance in this movie too.

Whilst being a terrific yarn, the quirky central performances won't garner any Oscar attention, I wouldn't think. Guy Pearce's dandy/fop take on Charlie Rakes is highly stylised and amusing before he just becomes a plain horrible character. Tom Hardy's take on Forrest Bondurant incorporates many big cat like purrs, which also amuse.

Set in America's South, you mostly hear Southern drawls, so if Cave's screenplay is any good, you will miss a chunk of it unless you can decipher the more unintelligible dialogue in this movie...which I couldn't, but I understood enough of it not to lose the plot. Early on in the film, the reality of life in the South is not elided...you will see signs of racial segregation...literally.

Even though this movie doesn't have a lot of violence in it, when it does occur, it is bloody and horrific...both in what you actually see happen and the horrific implied violence which you do not see...except for the aftermath. These moments can be very confronting...it's horror movie territory.

Since the movie is based on a book by a member of the Bondurant family, you have to wonder how much is fictionalised in order to paint the clan in a positive light. Watching the end of the movie, concerning a final confrontation with Charlie Rakes, you have to wonder if it really happened that way.

Whilst not a 'chick flick', there are some romantic moments. There's a little bit of comedy too...I'm not sure if Pearce's and Hardy's performances are deliberately amusing, but apart from that aspect, there are some other amusing moments in the movie. I also liked the singing you first hear when Jack enters a church to be close to a woman he fancies (Australian actress Mia Wasikowska. There is a big Australian contingent in this movie. I did see Noah Taylor in the credits but don't remember seeing him in the movie).

Apparently this movie has things in common with Cave's original screenplay for the Australian movie "The proposition". I haven't seen that movie but if you like either movie, it might pay to check out the other if you haven't seen it.

I could see this movie winning an Oscar for best picture or adapted screenplay.

A ripping yarn.

Prohibition in rural Virginia means bootleggers and moonshiners can make a lot of money producing liqueur . The Bondurant brothers are amongst the most successful moonshiners in the state . Their industry is under threat from Special Deputy Charley Rakes who will do anything to bring down the Bondurant brothers

I wouldn't say I enjoyed director John Hillcoat's previous work since they're a bit too painfully gloomy , downbeat and nihilistic to be enjoyed but I did respect his films . Here he has made his most commercial and accessible film featuring the tried and tested genre of the gangster film which is always popular with the public . Based upon the book The Wettest County In The World by Matt Bondurant . Hillcoat has made a film with commercial appeal but has probably made it a bit too commercial for the American box office for it to be a truly hard hitting and memorable film that the director is known for

The battle lines are drawn far too black and white . The Bondurants are merely following the business of America which is business and the fact that they're filling a market that due to the stupidity of politicians is an illegal market is neither here nor there because they are essentially real life American Robin Hoods risking , life , limb and liberty to keep ordinary Americans in home made apple brandy . Every businessman needs an enemy and this enemy is the American federal government who have employed Special Deputy Charley Rakes who isn't really interested in upholding the law but does the job because it involves torture and murder . Try and think of the Sheriff of Nottingham fused with a torturer from a Latin American fascist dictatorship played in a manner by Guy Pearce that suggests he thinks he's still appearing in pantomime at Preston Guild Hall and you've got the idea where this might be going wrong

You are left with the impression that Hillcoat is pulling out all the stops to give this commercial appeal . Not only are the good guys a bit too good , the bad guys a bit too bad leaving the audience in no doubt who to cheer for but is also trying to make a film trying to appeal to both teenagers and a female audience . We get a charming - it says here - coming of age story about Jack Bondurant who has fallen in love with a girl from the Amish church and we get a subplot about a romance between Forrest Bondurant and Maggie Beauford . In other words the story loses focus and is trying to do too much

This is a pity because LAWLESS is an impressive film in parts . The disgracefully underrated Tom Hardy just about the most impressive actor in the world in the last couple of years is good in the role of Forrest and does manage to flesh out his role as just being a misunderstood good guy . The cinematography is beautiful and Hillcoat does manage to paint a convincing picture of both time and place . That said you are still left with the impression Hillcoat is trying a bit too hard to make the film be a massive box office success and one wishes he'd stuck to his guns and made a movie involving a lot more dubious morality and nihilism that the director had done in GHOSTS OF THE CIVIL DEAD , THE PROPOSITION and THE ROAD

A lot of people are giving Lawless fairly negative reviews so I think I need to explain why it's such a great film. First of all it's really unique because of the specific setting of it during the prohibition in the United States which made it interesting viewing.

It is about three brothers who are running an illegal but successful business which soon attracts attention they don't want and trouble ensues. There is quite a lot of action in this film but it is mostly about the drama and the different things each character goes through.

There are some fantastic actors in this film who all show their versatility and most notable for me was Tom Hardy and Shia LaBeouf who did an amazing job of making their characters real to the audience and made you really care for them.

It is quite a long film but so many different things happen and it kept me glued from start to finish. There are some very grim scenes, some intense action, emotional scenes and of course romance and even a few comical moments - I think this film has a bit of everything.

This film is not all about the action so don't expect it to be, but the main element is the theme of brotherhood which I loved. Also the fact that Lawless is based on a true story made it really interesting for me.

It won't be for everyone but I thought this film was brilliant and would recommend it.

Even if this film feels like it didn't quite reach its potential, it's still a fairly watchable Prohibition-era drama. The cast is excellent with Tom Hardy leading the way and picking up the slack for Shia LaBeouf. Gary Oldman was shockingly underutilized though and Guy Pearce is great for most of the film, but goes a bit off the rails at the end. The action is solid, however the story doesn't really seem to go anywhere and set up a lot of lingering plot threads. Lawless isn't a masterpiece by any means, but it's a worthwhile watch.

Lawless takes a unique perspective of the prohibition era away from the gangsters of the day to the people that ran the moonshine distilling and distribution businesses behind the scenes and the challenges they faced. Based on a true story, this movie follows 3 brothers as they fight for their position and respect in the illegal business.

Few actors bring a high level of intensity to the character they play as Tom Hardy does and for his role as Forrest Bondurant, it's no let down. Shia LaBouf is too hokey an actor to take seriously in his role and tended to undersell some scenes due to a lack of appropriate or sincere expression and others like when he was getting a beat down by Special Deputy Charley Rakes couldn't oversell the scene more unless he did actual cartwheels after getting hit. The rest of the cast gave a quality performance and overall this movie is an interesting and exciting film to see.

Lawless is a typical B-movie in structure. Here is a straightforward plot with a previously known climax and denouement. And the era itself has already been described so many times that it is almost impossible to tell something new. In such cases, only the cast can be of interest. And in this regard, Lawless hits exactly the target. This is a great cast. That Tom Hardy, that Guy Pierce fit perfectly into his roles. Yes, Shia LaBeouf played his role perfectly, as did Jessica Chastain. An excellent film that critics probably did not like at one time. This is a purely spectator simple movie.

Lawless has it's unintentionally laughable moments and annoyingly montages through some of the more interesting parts but it's still a good gangster thriller. It's got solid production values, John Hillcoat's direction is really good and it's beautifully filmed. The action is thrilling and the soundtrack is great. Shia LaBeouf and Tom Hardy both give great performances. Mia Wasikowska, Dane DeHaan, Jason Clarke, Guy Pearce and Gary Oldman are all really good but Jessica Chastain is unfortunately wasted in a bland role.

Had a really good Sunday following on from a relaxed Saturday when I went for a good long walk. So Sunday was marked for nothing except food, feet up & watching a few films.

I stuck Lawless on about 2 pm. The first of 3 films watched that day and by far the best.

Shia & Tom have very good onscreen chemistry in this movie, as do all the cast.

Everything is excellent. From the cast, story, direction & everything in between, it's all excellent.

My misses made me a melted brie on bacon with cranberry sauce toasted sandwich whilst watching this; it was perfect. It was a perfect day.

Good stuff.

Good casting, good cinematography but after 1st half screenplay was poor; Tom Hardy, Shia LaBeouf and Guy Pearce really did their best to make this movie watchable but sadly slow and lagging screenplay and poor ending it made this movie one time watchable.

Good, but not great, and more than a little disappointing. Had heaps of potential: the (true) story was incredibly interesting. However, that may be the problem - there is too much to cram into a 2-hour movie. A mini-series may the more ideal medium. Certain events get glossed over. Some development of some of the more interesting sub-plots is required. Plus, we are lead down a few blind-alleys, plot-wise. The pacing is uneven too - better direction and editing was required.

This said, it is entertaining. The movie is suspenseful and exciting and has a degree of grittiness. With more time and a better director, it could have been a great crime-drama.

Shia LaBeouf is miscast in the lead role - he just doesn't have the presence or maturity for the role. Still, he doesn't do too badly and manages to limit the damage. Remaining cast - Tom Hardy, Jason Clarke, Guy Pearce, Jessica Chastain, Mia Wasikowska - are excellent. Tom Hardy is the pick of the bunch, as Forrest Bondurant.

Most underutilised member of the cast must go to Gary Oldman. His character was a very interesting one, and deserved his own movie, but Oldman, for all his genius as an actor, only gets 5 minutes of screen time.

Good soundtrack, the standout track being a hillbilly version of The Velvet Underground's "White Light, White Heat".

The reason people love films like Bonnie and Clyde and Hard Times is because it portrays people fighting back; fighting back against a society that has not given most of them a second thought. Modern movie-goers can identify with these characters because their governments (from wherever they are from) oven overlook millions of their own citizens who are fighting on a daily basis to make ends meet. This is why the characters in these films are appealing. I don't recollect anyone ever rooting for the police or the government in the theater I watched the film in; and I saw the film with a cop buddy of mine. The film is a tad violent, but these were violent times. Based on the recollections of three bootleg brothers, it paints a fascinating picture of Virginia in 1931. Don't worry, this aint the Waltons.