Lawless.

I know I've been away again for a few days, it's been my Birthday and my friends Birthday and I've basically been drunk since Thursday plus I got Sons of Anarchy seasons 1 - 4 on DVD which I am hooked on. But I'm back and with a 2012 film, so will you forgive me?

Lawless was one of those films, that started big (hell it was in development for about three years) but then vanished almost without a whimper. That is probably down to the film actually not turning out to be very good in many of the critics eyes. They claimed that despite some nice visuals and solid acting, the film falls short of the mark it sets itself, which often happens when films get stuck in 'development hell'. Heavy criticism was also placed against the film for 'not doing anything new', do they ever criticise a film for anything else? Well yes, the pacing was criticised, the script was criticised, the amount of gore was criticised. So maybe it's not a gangster classic but it's meant to be still fun. Plus The Proposition was fantastic, so I'm going to give the film a chance.

Based on a true story Lawless tells the story of three brothers who are moonshiners around the time of the prohibition in Franklin County. All is good for them at first, but times are changing, big city gangsters are taking over and the law is cranking down even harder. In steps Charlie Rakes, the only guy crazy enough to stand up to Forrest, who would start a war, just to stop the brothers. However, it looks set that the brothers may end up destroying themselves long before Rakes has a chance to really do anything.

Tom Hardy puts on another incredible performance, through the use of his voice. He barely says a thing in the film and instead acknowledges each moment he is involved with through a grunt or mumble. I know that most of the voices he ends up putting on are a little silly but by doing so, I think it really gives each of his characters identity, identity that wouldn't be there otherwise since he largely gets cast in very similar roles. Bane is remembered largely for his voice, whether it's being laughed at or not is irrelevant, because you remembered it, you talked about it, it did its job, even if it did it in a different way than intended. The same can be said for many of his characters, how many people remember Inception for Hardy's line, “You mustn't be afraid to dream a little bigger, darling.” more than anything else? So to hear Hardy again, complete with a new voice, it really helps separate him from Bane, despite being just as much of a bastard. Although I must say, those cardigans sure were distracting. However, pretty much the entire cast give fantastic character performances. Gary Oldman's portrayal of Floyd Banner is just completely badass. Guy Pearce as Charlie Rakes is terrifying. And if you've been hating on LaBeouf because of Transformers, then this film really showcases his talent, he is a great actor, when under a great director. And mixing all these incredible performances together is just...well amazing, characters can just look at each other, move towards one another without saying or doing anything and you're on the edge of your seat. Everyone is just fantastic.

Luckily the cinematography and editing are great too, because the action set-pieces are fantastic and it's lucky they get captured in all their glory. However, do know, Lawless is just as brutal as everyone says it is. There are some 'fuck yeah!' moments but many leave you feeling uncomfortable, squeamish - wanting to look away and it really shows off how well put together this all is. I know it isn't for everyone but this film affected me deeply and to me, that is a mark of a good movie. Although this is a violent film, it is never celebrating or praising violence and it makes the scenes as hard to watch as possible to reflect this, it's nice to see a film that really challenges an audience. Who would have thought I'd actually get upset when Shia LaBeouf of all people is getting the shit kicked out of him?

And so that is one criticism I've never understood of this film, they keep talking about this apparent 'glorification of villainy and violence', huh? Did we just watch the same film? Sure, Rakes is as creepy as he is evil, but it isn't like Rakes is any more evil than say Forrest or Floyd Banner or even Jack, our human avatar in the world. The movie takes no sides, it makes everyone just as much of a cunt as each other. Ultimately, that is the thing, everyone in Lawless is basically a villain. The film takes no sides and it doesn't want you to take sides either. The film rarely gives the characters human moments but constantly reminds us of how much of a bastard they are. There is a lot of grey in the film, the film really challenges its audience and I really appreciated that. For all the talk of apparent glorification, Lawless has no heroes.

I think in the end, the one thing that lets it down is that despite everything I have just said...this is still a Hollywood film. There will be moments of brutal, bloody violence where this time period seems like Hell on Earth, characters will die and they will die violently but the thing is in a Hollywood film, you can't just go around killing off all your main characters in pathetic and depressing ways. And so what happens, is our heroes will defy the odds in ways that may be goofy anyway but in an otherwise dark and serious piece of cinema, their sheer amount of odds defying stands out like a sore thumb, making the tone feel very uneven. I mean I know Forrest has the whole immortality legend and he gets his comeuppance in the end but there are quite a few moments that have a lot of punch but most of the impact is lost because they have to have a happy ending.

Another big problem with the film, which only becomes apparent upon rewatches is the film is a little conflicted. It both wants to be a Hollywood blockbuster, character drama and a true to life retelling of the story of the brothers. This can lead to the film feeling a little bloated and the pacing uneven. There are underwritten characters and underwritten plot lines which will either drop out of the film to return when we've basically forgotten about them or plot lines raised without any resolution. There are too many characters, too many stories and each one has a pretty different tone and feel, making the film feel somewhat patched together. Possibly the most criminally underused character is Floyd Banner, I know the film tries to steer away from the big city gangsters, but Oldman steals every scene he is in and he awkwardly vanishes from the movie and never comes back again, he doesn't even get a character arc, let alone some kind of resolution.

So do I recommend it? Lawless is not flawless, huuur, but my God 2012 has been great for movies. Lawless, flaws and all, is still, in my mind, a masterpiece of Hollywood cinema. You can let the film wash over you and take away completely the wrong message or you can take it head on and come away with a thought provoking, challenging experience. So yes, if you came for a mindless gangster flick, you'd be disappointed, everyone else though...Lawless is just fantastic. For all those saying this isn't a classic like The Proposition, you are dead wrong.

Think About It!

-Locke