Lawless

Drama, True Story
5 stars
Excellent film based on the true story of bootleggers in Virginia during prohibition. Tom Hardy (making up for his goofy comedy This Means War) plays the oldest and wisest of the four Bondurant brothers who decide they are not going to be bullied into giving up a percentage of their profits to corrupt law enforcement. Jason Clarke (Public Enemies) plays his loyal and mean partner in crime, Shia LaBeouf plays the brash, cocky younger brother who wants to be part of the family business, and Dane DeHaan (Chronicle) plays the youngest brother with crippled legs. Guy Pearce (Memento, Traitor, King’s Speech) gives a chilling performance as a dirty mean Special Deputy from Chicago. I’m pretty sure there will be Oscar nominations for both Pearce and Hardy, whose performance of a man of few words is simply perfect. Also included in the cast are two of the finest young actresses today: Jessica Chastain (The Help, The Debt) and Mia Wasikowska (Alice in Wonderland, The Kids Are All Right). There are a few gory violent scenes. Excellent film.