Os Infratores

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!

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 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.

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 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.