Apart from going to the cinema quite regularly these past couple of weeks, I've also gotten a hold of films that have recently been released for home viewing. Ones that impressed me during my absence from writing reviews. Now having sat down to watch a second time, I still hold Lawless in great esteem, and it comes as no surprise. One of my favourite films in my collection is The Proposition, a searing piece of cinema from the collaborative efforts of Nick Cave and John Hillcoat. Now they're back with Lawless, with a screenplay penned by Nick Cave and adapted from the true story written by Matt Bondurant called 'The Wettest County in the World'.
Lawless tells the story of the three Bondurant brothers as they bootleg their way through the depression and prohibition. Business is booming, with the youngest Jack (Shia Lebeouf) taking it upon himself to make he and his family better off for it. That is until the law from the city starts making life hard for them, in the form of a sneering and slimey Charlie Rakes (Guy Pearce).
Although not as weighty, nor as fearsome as The Proposition, Lawless rings with a number of familiar tones. Three law breaking brothers; two elders with grit and confidence, the younger with a lot to learn, with the law hot on their heels, sounds familiar. With a stand alone force of the law in the form of Guy Pearce being their ultimate threat you can't help but see some kind of comparison with The Proposition. Lawless is a much different beast, it's an easy watch, in as much as the story speaks for itself, it's extremely accessible to most with in roads to a well known history. With the central story focused on a family, there will be themes here that ring true with anyone who has siblings, let alone brothers. With Shia LeBeouf as the young runt of the litter Jack, trying his best to play catch up, and falling prey to foolish mistakes, you end up routing for him and feeling his fury as the plot unfolds. With Jacks older brothers acting not just as his guardians, but as a measuring stick as he treads the difficult path towards becoming a man. Guy Pearces Charlie Rakes is the roaring catalyst, changing the family dynamic by brutally enforcing his law on the county, its bootleggers and Jacks face. The resulting kick off, mixed with Jacks tie in with local gangsters, gives the film its real meat and potatoes. It's very violent when it gets down to the dirty work, with one scene in particular giving you a sense that the older brothers have to cross lines that most wouldn't to protect themselves and Jack. With Rakes closing the gap you have to hand it to Guy Pearce as when we first meet him we already think he's a bit left of center, and by the finale he brings the real madness of this unpredictable character to the fore.
It makes for compelling viewing, mainly because all cast members present are putting in brilliant performances. Shia LeBeouf although type cast here, stands out as he fits perfectly into the character of Jack and grows throughout the narrative convincingly. Tom Hardy plays a perfectly pitched and powerful alpha male as he grunts his way through an ordeal that sees his character live up to his legend. The rest of the cast all have some purpose, mainly in bolstering Jacks story line, with Gary Oldman used to great but unfortunately fleeting effect. The female interests are obviously a sight for sore eyes in this more testosterone fueled film, much like The Proposition. However their weight in the actual plot isn't great, in fact it's fairly none existent, except for maybe making Forrest get a little more angry . . . you won't like him when he's angry.
As with The Proposition, Lawless has a soundtrack is well presented, however here it serves more as a back drop, rather than making a huge impact on the visuals. With soundtracks specially recorded and written for their films Cave has helped mold a soundtrack that you will likely want to listen to separately when the film is over.
Lawless for this critic is like a difficult second album for Hillcoat and Cave, with The Proposition sitting so high on my all time favourites list. I thoroughly enjoyed Lawless, and on its own it is definitely one of the better films of 2012, however, given the creative powers behind it and the cast, it should have been the best.
★ ★ ★ ★ ☆
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