Lawless (2012)

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2 star rating THE Screened Review by Mitch Salem

A Moonshine War to Make You Long for “Boardwalk Empire”

John Hillcoat Director previously directed Red Dead Redemption: The Man from Blackwater

Directed by John Hillcoat, Lawless is an adaptation of Matt Bondurant's novel, The Wettest County in the World. The story revolves around a Depression-era bootlegging gang based out of Franklin County, Virginia.

Trivia:

During production, a verbal altercation led to Shia Labeuff challenging Tom Hardy to a fight. Hardy accepted, at which point Labeuff immediately punched him in the face, knocking him unconcious. Labeuff later bragged to the press about this, and Hardy admitted the story was true.

Quote: Forrest Bondurant

It's not the violence that sets man apart. It is the distance that he is willing to go.

2 More Quotes
Writers
Cast
Shia LaBeouf Jack Bondurant
Tom Hardy Forrest Bondurant
Jessica Chastain Maggie
Gary Oldman Floyd Banner
Guy Pearce Charlie Rakes
Mia Wasikowska Bertha Minnix
Noah Taylor Gummy Walsh
Jason Clarke Howard Bondurant
Dane DeHaan Cricket Pate

Plot

Jack, Forrest, and Howard are the Bondurant brothers, three prohibition-era bootleggers in the countryside of Virginia with a reputation. Howard (Jason Clarke), the oldest brother, is a veteran who watched every single one of his troop drown around him in the Great War, while he somehow survived. Forrest (Tom Hardy), the next oldest, saw both his parents fall to a terrible epidemic sweeping the country, but he himself was able to fight it off and miraculously came back from the edge. He is thought by many to be near indestructible. Jack (Shia LaBeouf), the youngest brother, didn't grow up with quite the same hardships as his brothers, and is seen by his siblings as incapable of handling the tough realities of the business they operate. He resents this, and looks up to the slick, swagger-filled lifestyle of kingpin gangster Floyd Banner (Gary Oldman).

Forrest and Howard are a two-man team who together handle the moonshine business, serving regular customers all across the mountains. The local sheriffs are content to turn a blind eye, and even buy a couple drinks from the brothers themselves. Everything changes when the oily big-city lawman Charlie Rakes (Guy Pearce) is sent into town from Chicago to cut into the Bondurant's lucrative business. Rakes approaches Forrest trying to strike a deal, but Forrest immediately turns him down flat, sparking the beginning of a very long and very destructive feud as these two immense forces vie for power.

14 votes, 3.5 avg.
General Information Edit
Name Lawless
US Release Aug. 29, 2012
UK Release May 4, 2012
AUS Release Sept. 6, 2012
Runtime 115
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Rating R
Alias(es) Wettest Country
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  • In today's dollars
    Domestic $37,400,127
    Foreign +16,276,453
  • = total worldwide gross $53,676,580
  • - a reported budget of $26,000,000
  • = a 106.4% net profit of $27,676,580
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