Review of Lawless (2012) by Martin O — 26 May 2013

Since I normally tear this guy apart, I have to give credit when it is due, Shia LaBeouf is excellent in this movie which helps since he carries large sections at a time. He is not alone though on the comebacks though as Guy Pierce gives his best performance since L.A. Confidential. He gives you the creeps everytime he is on screen similar to the character of Percy Whitmore in "The Green Mile".

The rising star of Tom Hardy shows no let down as he continues his excellent run from "Rocknrolla", "Warrior", "Inception", and "Dark Knight Rises". I can't take credit for this comparison but he has truly become the new Brando. He is convincingly strong and invincible standing up to Pearce's strongarm tactics and he is just as believably uncomfortable and out of place when being hit on by Jessica Chastain's character "Maggie". Maggie is the one character who remains slightly mysterious throughout the film, but she is hardly the typical damsel in distress. Between this performanc and "The Debt", Chastain has established herself as one to watch.

The movie is a slow build up establishing characters, but when the violence erupts, and it does quiet often, it is brutal and bloody. At its heart though this is a story about how three brothers handle trying to continue their moonshine business during prohibition and how they at times fight themselves as much as Pearces crooked Charley Rakes.

I can not find anything I didnt like about this film. The acting was all around superb. The film looked great. The director kept the story moving and developed th plot without ever letting it get boring. The script and score by Nick Cave were exceptional, think of a grimmer "Oh Brother Where Art Thou?" soundtrack. I will be surprised if this movie is not well represented when the Oscar nominations are announced.