Lawless, if you let it, will catch you off guard with just how compelling it actually is. It doesn’t quite reach the highs of the Untouchables, but it is in the discussion. Anchored by a surprisingly good lead performance from Shia Laboeuf, Lawless uses its setting and character-driven story to drive its niche into the gangster genre. Looks like Prohibition was as bad in Virginia as it was in Chicago.
Lawless is a coming-of-age story set in Prohibition era Virginia using a bait-and-switch with the bootleggers as good guys and cops as bad ones. The “heroes” are the Bondurant brothers: the oldest Howard (Jason Clarke), middle son Forrest (Tom Hardy), and youngest Jack (Shia Laboeuf). They have a small operation partnering with mixologist Cricket (Dane DeHaan) and businesswoman Maggie (Jessica Chastain). The brothers are successful because Forrest has a reputation of invincibility in the small town since he has eluded death several times. This reputation is tested by Charley Rakes (Guy Pearce) a newcomer from Chicago who wants to take a slice of the brothers’ pie.
The biggest failing of Lawless is a result of its biggest asset: it doesn’t have enough material for their talented cast. As such, more than a couple of subplots go nowhere. Women in particular get the short end of the stick: Mia Wasikowska and Jessica Chastain get thankless love interest roles (though Chastain’s role at least has a decent back story) that serve mostly as plot devices and not as characters. Gary Oldman’s presence is unnecessary as a hot-shot gangster; his character is underdeveloped and peripherally involved in the story. The oldest Bondurant brother is written as a shapeless entity with limited story, which is probably the biggest fault of Lawless since Jason Clarke gets a lot of screen time.
What differentiates Lawless is its sense of time and place. Virginia in the 1930’s feels small and intimate, which makes the brothers’ reputation and respect very believable. All actions feel deliberate, calculated, and slow. Tying the story into a bigger bootlegging picture in Chicago gives context and complexity to Lawless. Sure, officer Rakes is a clearly powerful man and authority figure, but since he is an outsider in a familiar place, can he be completely trusted? And how far will his men be willing to go to breakup the brothers? These questions don’t have easy answers and are nicely explored by the end of the film.
Like the Godfather and the Untouchables, Lawless uses the storytelling technique of revolving the proceedings around a single character: in this case, Jack. Shia Laboeuf seems like a risk due to his recent filmography, but he was once regarded as the up-and-comer in Hollywood; his character growth and depth in Lawless will be a revelation for those who only know him from the Transformers movies. Jack is a compelling fully realized individual, and his evolution in the film is very organic. Tom Hardy is playing against type a little here: he is a man of few words who speaks softly and carries a big stick. Hardy’s performance is restrained and commanding, like Bruce Willis. Guy Pearce chews into his slick villain role with relish; he may not have much depth, but he at least feels real. Dane DeHaan continues to grow his acting reputation with what could have been a one-note character and giving him some texture. DeHaan’s character is the pivotal one: without properly establishing how the town views Cricket, Lawless would be a rudderless picture.
Watching Lawless, I could not help but feel a little disappointed. With a little tighter script, this could have been one of the best pictures of the year. As is, it is a solid gangster pic that reestablishes Shia Laboeuf as a credible actor. Maybe that’s what makes Lawless special: it can eliminate Michael Bay’s influence on Shia Laboeuf’s acting ability.