"Ay thought Ay Woked. Ugg."
-Tom Hardy as Forrest Bondurant

One of these days Tom Hardy is going to star in a major Hollywood production where I can understand everything he says.

Anyways, while never really reaching the heights of greatness it probably should, Lawless is enjoyable enough and well made that it doesn't really matter. In fact, the only thing keeping this film from greatness is some first act pacing issues.

The actors in the film are by far what make the film great though. Tom Hardy and Guy Pearce are by far the best of the cast, each chewing the scenery like its nothing. The supporting cast of Jessica Chastain, Jason Clarke, and Dane Dehaan are all good in their roles, and while he's never outstanding, Shia is competent and manages to be likable in a role that could have been obnoxious, which is impressive considering he's done nothing but piss me off in other films.

The film is also gorgeous. Filmed like a western, Lawless features a lot of wide shots of people standing around in silence staring at each other, but it's some of the more creative sequences like a night time attack and the finale that really impresses. It's great just how subtle the look of the film really is.

Lawless may not be contending for any awards later this year (even if Hardy and Pearce deserve some recognition), but it's good enough that it makes for a nice kick start for the Fall season, which is shaping up to look very enjoyable.