Lawless - Review by Stu Coote
A frustrating thing about being a film fan is watching a promising film succumb to its various flaws, like watching a car crash in slow motion, leaving it battered and bruised and ultimately unsatisfying. Lawless , the latest offering from John Hillcoat, is based upon the historical novel The Wettest County in the World by Matt Bondurant (grandson of the main protagonists), which tells the story of the Bondurant Brothers who ran a Virginia moonshine operation during the 1930s prohibition era. The Bondurant Brothers, thanks to a few lucky escapes due mostly to rum good luck, are believed by the local county to be unkillable and untouchable. They meet their match, however, when Special Agent Charlie Rakes (Guy Pierce) is sent from Chicago to stop the flow of moonshine. A great narrative premise, and whilst brimming with potential, Lawless could not overcome its awful screenplay and chaotic editing issues. John Hillcoat is a competent director who has the critically acclaimed The Pro...