Lawless

(John Hillcoat/2012/USA)

Given how good Nick Cave’s screenplay for Proposition was the sight of his name on the screenwriting credit for Lawless raised expectations. Unfortunately the film falls quite a bit short of those expectations, in the main due to an inability to decide what to show and what not. In attempting to tell too much it ends up losing focus and impairing an otherwise well made film. The setting is 1930’s prohibition time Virginia and the Bondurant brothers have established themselves as bootleggers. A special deputy is brought in to deal with them and other bootlegging gangs, his particular method being to request a cut in return for a blind eye. The Bondurants refuse, there are reprisals, they expand operations with the help of a big city gang and a couple of love interests develop before it all culminates in a slightly ludicrous showdown. But it all seems to stutter along rather than glide with any degree of continuity. Montages exacerbate a sense of boxes being ticked. Outside of these flaws are some decent performances from Chastain, Hardy and Pearce along with a great ambience of that time and setting. It should work better than it does but what it lacks is air for the story to breathe. There’s no need for a lot of the sub plotting and overall it’s a disappointing venture.

(2/5)