Lawless Review

    Southern man-Shia LaBeouf and Mia Wasikowska as a moonshiner and his love interest in Lawless
                   Lawless is the kind of film you savor for the magnificent acting but wish the story would not lag so much. It is a film where the whole cast shines but the material is as rusty as the chain of a fifty year old bike. In other words-this is a cookie cutter action film that is saved by the actors...most notably Shia LaBeouf.

                    In the film...LaBeouf, Tom Hardy and Jason Clarke play Jack, Forrest and Howard...three brothers who illegally sell moonshine. When an evil law enforcer named Charlie Rakes (Guy Pearce) crosses paths with them and eventually beats one half to death..it means full out war. LaBeouf, Hardy and Clarke are all terrific here but it is LaBeouf who really comes out of his shell and shows the audience what he is truly made of. I am pleased with the fact that there will be no more Transformers films because LaBeouf really needs to get discovered one way or another. The other big stand out performance is Pearce. Although it feels as if Pearce is trying to do a borderline Christoph Waltz impression...he makes the character his own and truly menacing at that.

                    Also...Mia Wasikowska and Jessica Chastain as the love interests of LaBeouf and Hardy are both terrific here. They bring much that is appealing to their characters without ever being too run of the mill. Gary Oldman plays Floyd Banner...an escaped murderer who may be in cahoots with Charlie. While this is not Oldman's best work...he is very good here.

                     The story, however drags. It is not a bad story to tell but it just feels like another history lesson for teens. It feels as if we are getting Public Enemies set in the south rather than anything original. As well...at almost two hours the film runs out of steam way before its time is up. There are a couple of great scenes including the final shootout but the film feels like it's trying too hard to impress and not succeeding. I am so close to recommending the film yet I can not. It is not that Lawless is bad...it's just that it is not very good.
(2 and 1/2 out of 5 Stars, The film is rated R for strong bloody violence, language and some sexual/nudity)