Lawless, oh Lawless
You may not be so flawless
But I'll be damned if you left me thoughtless
I thought you'd be fun like a party
I got a surprise especially from Hardy
Even Shia pulls his weight, he's not so annoying
Not for a second did he stop me from enjoying
Let's not forget Mia and Gary and Noah oh my
And even Jessica, who still brings a glimmer to my eye
Then of course there's Guy; he stole the show
He is the man, such a fucking pro
John Hillcoat oh Hillcoat, you genius you
The Proposition, The Road, and now this too
I loved it all so i'm curious what's next
When will you give me another…

Things I’m thankful for:
• Tom Hardy's mouth
• Gary Oldman's crazy killer man face
• Jessica Chastain's class
• Mia Wasikowska's smile
• Shia LeBoeuf's tearful eyes
• Tom Hardy's face
• Tom Hardy's bad assery
• Guy Pierce's natural penchant for snobbery
• Tom Hardy's silly hat

Now that I have the bullshit off of my chest, on to a real review…

Lawless is an entertaining film that falls just short of greatness because of uninspired writing and some stupid gimmicks/cheap tricks to get a response out of the audience. However, the positives far outweigh the negatives and I'd say it's definitely worth a watch.

The story is too small and straightforward to be anything but predictable. It's…

There are similarities between director, John Hillcoat’s, latest film and his Australian set western, The Proposition. Both feature outlaw siblings with mythic reputations, both have outsiders sent in to clean up the mess and both are set during an era of transition. Yet this time Hillcoat has abandoned the dusty bloodsoaked reds of the Australian outback for the earthy greens and browns of Depression-era Virginia. Despite being based on a true story (no doubt embellished over time like all the best tales) it has a pulpy quality to it like a cheap paperback you’d find hidden away in a charity shop. That may sound like a criticism but I rather enjoyed the film’s down and dirty tone in favour of…

Lawless is a good not great film about bootlegging set in depression era Franklin County, Virginia. It had the potential to be a lot better than it was.

Tom Hardy continues his run as one of the best actors working today. The issue for me was I wanted more of his character, but instead a lot of time was used up by Shia LaBeouf. I don't hate LaBeouf or anything, but Hardy definitely needed more screen time and cutting some of LaBeouf's would of been the way to go. Guy Pearce is excellent as well and I've never understood why that guy doesn't work more and get more great roles.

The overall story is interesting but it doesn't really do…

Part of Dastardly Difficult December: film nr.43

I was actually looking forward to this one as I was rather impressed with Hillcoat's previous film, The Proposition. Lawless, while certainly not bad, ultimately didn't appeal to me as much as I would have liked.

Stories like this have been told many, many times before. Sibling rivalry in a crime family is just not a very original premise. Throw in corrupt cops, a relentless antagonist that represents the law and a good deal of fillers in the cast whose fate was decided the moment they were conceived. It makes for a rather predictable affair, that plays out exactly like you'd expect. I know this is based on real events, but if that's…

"Lawless" is a well-made film about ignorant and violent people. Like the recent "Killer Joe," I can only admire this film's craftsmanship and acting, and regret its failure to rise above them. Its characters live by a barbaric code that countenances murder. They live or die in a relentless hail of gunfire. It's not so much that the movie is too long, as that too many people must be killed before it can end.

Hillcoat knows what to do with grim material: His adaptation of Cormac McCarthy's The Road had a surprising buoyancy to it, despite the depressive nature of the story. But Lawless needs a tighter grip on the reins. The picture's brutality is vivid and unapologetic — that's…