Review of Lawless (2012) by Stephen T — 15 May 2015

Sometimes I really get ticked off at Hollywood. This could've been an outstanding film, but alas, artistry was snuffed for formula. But, hark, there is hope! Three key artistic elements came together to save this film from formulaic obscurity.

(1) The intense polarization of Tom Hardy's protagonist/hero character and Guy Pearce's antagonist/villain character. Hardy is gravitas incarnate on screen. His backwoods protagonist Forrest is understandably at odds with Pearce's sociopathic city-slicker Charley Rakes.

We see Rakes from the Bondurants perspective: a very real danger from the outside who threatens their livelihood. There is absolutely zero compromise between these two characters. (2) The film should have been longer in order to accommodate richer romantic subplots between the Jessica Chastain/Tom Hardy characters and LaBeouf/Wasikowska characters.

Surface criticism says these characters are forced, but they really add depth and humanism to the brutal world in which they exist. (3) The soundtrack fits in wonderfully and feels authentic to the period.

This film didn't blow me away, but it should have.