What exactly is a western? Why do I ask? Because Lawless is listed as a western. Now pause for a second and picture the elements you would include in a western. Lawless has a great western title, sure. After that, well, Lawless is set in rural Virginia in the year 1931. There isn’t a cowboy boot, ranch, steer or horse in sight. You may as well call Public Enemies a western.
The plot distraction here is moonshinin’ during prohibition. The Bondurant boys be makin’ quality hooch. Give the law a piece and ev’rybody’s happy. ‘Sides, ev’rybody in them thar hills be makin’ hooch. Is this Virginia during prohibition or present-day West Virginia? My apologies to West Virginia should any literate soul from there take offense. Yeah, I can wait.
Lawless gets bored of spirit-vending exposition early on and quickly splits into two disparate tales – the R-rated version stars stoic and menacing Tom Hardy as Forrest Bondurant, the unflinching deliverer of leadership and pain, but not necessarily in that order. This tale contains blood and booty (flesh variety). City refugee Maggie (Jessica Chastain) is instantly attracted to Forrest’s incomprehensible mumbling and drab array of hillbilly sweaters. Hey, who wouldn’t be?
The G-rated version stars frivolous noob Shia LeBeouf as Jack Bondurant. The opening shot tells of how Jack doesn’t have the stomach for killin’. Yup. I know exactly where this is going – what series of events will trigger a change in Jack’s temperament? Everybody wants to remake The Godfather, huh? Until then, Jack’s tale is of fluffy bunny cityfolk goods and booty of the not-so-flesh variety. Along those lines, Jack courts Bertha (Mia Wasikowska), a local Mennonite girl – say, baby, does that ankle go all the way up?
And then there’s the unconsidered tale starring Jason Clarke as Howard Bondurant. So unformed is the information on this also-ran brother, it is not worth finishing th-
Both the G- and R- rated brothers have attracted the attention of rivals and the law, which are often the same thing when it comes to prohibition. Guy Pearce has a meaty role as the Bondurant foil; he plays lawman Charlie Rakes as a mesmerizing combination of ruthless sociopath and fastidious nancy-boy. Imagine, perhaps, a young George Will as a serial killer and maybe you have some idea.
Lawless milks the setting ad infinitum as if there’s nothing unreasonable about the facts that Tom Hardy can’t be understood and Shia LeBeouf is playing his Transformers persona again. Yeah, let’s see that scene where Shia acts like a big shot; I’m sure it will be more poignant when he’s showing off crap from the 1930s. That do it for you? Great. But Al Pacino is still my favorite Michael Corleone.
Let me introduce the Bondurant three
One meanie, one greenie and one off-screen-y
Runnin’ ‘shine in Virginnie like it’s goin’ out of style
Storytelling genius? Missed by a country mile.
Rated R, 115 Minutes
D: John Hillcoat
W: Nick Cave
Genre: Rube gangsta
Type of person most likely to enjoy this film: Drug dealers
Type of person least likely to enjoy this film: D.E.A.
