Review:
Lawless is an
engaging gritty crime drama wrapped up in an American tall-tale. The film is
about three Bondurant brothers, bootleggers in Great Depression era Virginia, who
find themselves in a fight for survival when a government agent, Charlie Rakes,
comes to eradicate them from their way of life. Director John Hillcoat does a great job
with the crime drama aspect of the film. It is appropriately violent, while
also including the iconic character archetypes and imagery of the era –
particularly: gangsters using tommy guns (as seen in visually splendid scene of
local gangster Floyd Banner laying waste to a rival). Hillcoat gets the tone
and the grittiness of the era just right. Throughout, the film is visually
brilliant, as the greatest care has been given to the set design, costume
design and the perfect locations for the story. However, where the narrative
goes a bit off track is between whether this is a gritty crime drama about
bootleggers or an American legend about a family of brothers who seem to be
immortal. The ton is conflicting between these two elements (which both play
large roles in the narrative). The legend about the brothers, specifically
Forrest, being invincible works within the construct of the crime drama to an
extent, but Hillcoat takes it a bit too far leaving the film feeling a bit
hokey. Almost as if Hillcoat is portraying the story of the Bondurants (a true
story) as one of America’s tall-tales (like John Casey or Paul Bunyan). Jack’s
voiceover narration mixed with the (all wrapped up in a nice bow) epilogue
clashes with the meat of the narrative, being the gritty struggle for survival.
Hillcoat has folklore slamming up against realism mixing messages and confusing
how the audience should feel about the narrative and the characters. The
performances are very strong, and Hillcoat gives the characters lots of moments
allowing the audience to connect with them and take a stake in the outcome, but
all this seems to be devalued by the narrative not having a fluid constant
tone. Plus, the epilogue sort of flies in the face of classic gangster
narratives (which following Jack the youngest Bondurant, who is the story’s
lead character, is otherwise similar to classic gangster narratives detailing
his rise and fall), pandering to focus groups who want everything to be okay in
the end. Again, it is based on a true story, and thus certain facts (though,
often changed in film adaptations) seemingly need to be preserved. Thus, if the
Bondurants are that of legend and folklore, why not keep the tone lighter and
completely buy into this as being like a tall-tale instead of making it very
violent and steeped in realism only to have that sort of be thrown into
question in the minds of the audience by a varying tone. All that said, Lawless
is still a good drama, with the shifting tone really only serving as a minor
issue (holding it back from being great), built on almost complete brilliance
from the cast and crew.
Technical,
aesthetic & acting achievements: John Hillcoat, while clearly very
gifted visually and in his ability to get great performances from his actors,
seems to still struggle with aspects of his narrative’s structure. The Road has poor pacing (for
example) and this has contradictory elements keeping his films from being
great, instead of merely just being good. Composers Nick Cave (who also wrote the
film) and Warren Ellis
provide a score that both enriches the visual environment and extenuates the
emotional depth of the film. Cinematographer Benoit Delhomme does fantastic
work as well, visually capturing the era beautifully while also both paying
homage to classic gangster films with his imagery and giving the film its own
visual identity (often using darkness juxtaposed to daylight to create menace –
like the shootout in the bridge or Howard coming from inside the house to
attack the sheriffs). Production designer Chris Kennedy, however, does
probably the film’s best work, as his overall design and especially his sets are
so richly textured. The cast is very good overall, drawing the audience in. Dane DeHaan, Mia Wasikowska and Gary
Oldman (who selfishly I wish was in more of the film) are all wonderful in
support. Jessica Chastain is
very good, playing a Chicago floosy of sorts looking for a different life. Guy Pierce is creepy and strange
as Charlie Rakes (he has become one of the great current character actors). Jason Clarke is brutish and
simple as Howard Bondurant. Tom
Hardy steals every scene he is in (and the film) as Forrest. His presence
commands attention. Shia LaBeouf
is decent in the film (though maybe slightly miscast). He is eager and naïve at
first but weighs the consequences of his actions.
Summary
& score: As a big fan of gangster films, I was not disappointed in
Lawless, as it is a solid crime drama with great performances and visuals, but
it also a tad corny. 7/10
