Lawless (2012)

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RATE MOVIE: 4.50 (6 Votes)

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Director: John Hillcoat
Starring: Tom Hardy, Shia LaBeouf
Set in Virginia in the early 1930’s this is the true story of the Bondurant brothers who were notorious bootleggers. In this illegal industry there was plenty of money to be made and everyone wanted a cut including the so called “law enforcers”. A war raged on between the gangs and a new deputy, who was trying to locate these distilleries, was so violent in his ways that he redefined the word lawman. Ironically he was more “lawless” than the bootleggers themselves.

The cast contains some Australian actors and all the performances are very powerful especially from Guy Pearce, whose disturbing portrayal of the unhinged deputy will linger on in the viewers’ memory long after leaving the cinema. Guy has come a long way since his apprentice years on soaps and this movie definitely showcases his versatility as an actor. A bit long winded yet the viewer never loses interest owing to the brilliant characterisation in a script which cleverly interweaves comic dialogue and romance with blood drenched violence. The locations are breathtaking and the viewer has seemingly been transported back to those depression years owing to the realistic sets and props.

The violence is so extreme that there will be debate as to whether the graphic nature of the scenes were too gruesome. One throat slitting scene in particular had the audience at a preview screening gasping in horror as it seemed to go beyond 30 seconds. The violence does however depict the reality of the era and shows the evil that men did, furthering the evidence that money was and will always be the root to all evil.
JAKE