Lawless

The Good Fight

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Rated: R  Some sexuality/nudity, language and strong bloody violence
Release Date: August 29, 2012
Runtime:  1 hour 55 minutes

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Director: John Hillcoat
Writers: Nick Cave, from the novel by Matt Bondurant
Cast:  Shia LaBeouf, Tom Hardy, Jason Clarke, Guy Pearce, Jessica Chastain, Mia Wasikowska, Dane DeHaan, Gary Oldman

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SYNOPSIS:  In 1931 Depression-era Prohibition Franklin County, three bootlegging brothers' business is threatened by a new special deputy targeting moonshining operations in the hills of Virginia.

REVIEW: Director John Hillcoat, known for the bleak apocalyptic Cormac McCarthy adaptation The Road, return with another adaptation from multi-talented Nick Cave (The Proposition) based on the novel 'The Wettest County in the World' by Matt Bondurant. Looking at Depression moonshining based on the actual lives of three real-life brothers should make for fine drama. 

In 1931 Franklin County, Virginia, three brothers make their living distilling 'White Lightning' moonshine in the rural foothills. Led by Forrest Bondurant (Tom Hardy, The Dark Knight Rises), a man who cheated and overcame death in both the Great War and a bout of fever that took the lives of both of the brothers' parents, he remains a quiet but stern businessman of the local alcohol trade. Older bear of a brother Howard (Jason Clarke, Wall Street: Money Never Sleeps) like the product a little too much but is devoted to his brethren. Younger brother and runt of the litter Jack (Shia Lebeouf, Transformers: Dark of the Moon) looks to follow in his brother's footsteps but lacks the stature and intestinal fortitude to do what sometimes must be done. Operating without problems from the local constables, the Bondurant brothers suddenly find themselves up against sterner authorities in the guise of special deputy Charlie Rakes (Guy Pearce, Lockout) who looks to shut down all of the stills operating in the back wood Virginia hillside. Unwilling to back down, the Bondurant clan continue to distill the illegal alcohol while the other moonshiners are bought out or run out. While Forrest deals with keeping what he has, Jack starts running his own part of the business and making enough money to buy fancy cars and clothes, and try to woe the beautiful daughter of a town minister named Bertha (Jessica Chastain, The Help).

What could have been just another drawn out early 20th Century period drama, turns into a gripping character-driven tale of loyalty, power, and love. With great performances by Tom Hardy, Guy Pearce, and the rest of the cast, plus a phenomenal story from Nick Cave from the Matt Bondurant, Lawless will entertain and enthrall.

At the end of the second decade of the Twentieth Century, the United States government decides that the ills of the country were due to the evils of alcoholic spirits, passing the Amendment to the Constitution for Prohibition. As the Dust Bowl and the Great Depression tore through the country, those with the strength of character and convictions were able to remain or become successful in spite, and because, of the decisions of the government. Bootlegging and moonshining became the cornerstone of prosperity for both those who produced the spirits and those who sold them, and survival for those who consumed them.

Taking place in the the hills of Virginia, the opening shot pans over the luscious orange, red, and golds tree tops of the forests of the commonwealth. An old Ford truck rumbles down a single lane dirt road and Shia LeBeouf's character Jack sits behind the wheel of the old jalopy filled with White Lightning. In voice-over, Jack describes his brothers and the business they share. As they travel through the county, selling crates of mason jars filled with moonshine to both the locals and the local constables, we get a glimpse that maybe selling moonshine during Prohibition is not as illegal and detrimental to the country's morals as it was supposed to be. The cinematography is sweeping and gorgeous, adding a beauty to a story that at times is bloody and hard.

The performances are exceptional. Tom Hardy's Forrest Bondurant is both eloquent and quiet, saying more with a clenched-jaw stare and a 'hmmm' than long monologues. Shia's Jack, the center of the story in some regard, shows he carry himself with characters other than talking robots. Guy Pearce, as the special deputy Charlie Rakes appointed by the Commonwealth of Virginia, presents his character as a Chicago operative who fancies the finer things in life, has a perchance for wearing gloves, and has no problem getting his hands dirty. Jessica Chastain and Mia Wasikowska bring a softness and maturnal climate to the brother's, Jessica as the minister's daughter that Jack tries to woe and Mia as the displaced Chicago showgirl who just wants to find a more quiet life. Dane Dehaan stumbles through life as the Bondurant Brothers' mechanic and gimpy boy Cricket with a heart of gold. And Gary Oldman cameos as the crime boss Floyd Banner, both friend and foe to the back-woods bootleggers.

Lawless is a fine period drama, corner stoned by superior performances by everyone on the cast, strong stark visuals, and a solid story. Violent and beautiful, Lawless entertains and enthralls. The brothers may be outlaws, but their loyalty to each other is beyond the rules.

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WORTH:  Matinee or DVD

Chronicle

True Origins

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Rated: PG-13  Some Language, Sexual Content, Intense Action and Thematic Materials.
Release Date: February 3, 2012
Runtime: 1 hr 24 min

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Director: Josh Trank

Writers: Max Landis, Josh Trank
Cast: Dane DeHaan, Alex Russell, Michael B. Jordan, Michael Kelly, Ashley Hinshaw, Bo Petersen

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SYNOPSIS: During a rave party at an abandoned property, Andrew, his cousin Matt and schoolmate Steve stumble upon a strange source of power that gives them all telekinesis. As their powers grow and expand, they each have to make decisions as to how they should use their new found gifts.

REVIEW: John Trank, writer and director of several episodes of the 2007 series The Kill Point, moves to the big screen with a script written by him and Master of Horror segment: Deer Woman writer Max Landis (son of John Landis). Trank directs a story about teenagers gaining superpowers, but this time neither Marvel nor DC comics provide any source material or characters to the film. 

Andrew Detmer (Dane DeHaan, In Treatment) starts documenting his life on camcorder film once he can no longer take the abuse from his drunken, disability-check cashing father Richard (Michael Kelly, The Adjustment Bureau). As his mother Karen (Bo Petersen, Endgame) lies sick in bed with expensive medical needs and failing health, Andrew hides behind the camera viewfinder as an escape from his life. Andrew is joined by his cousin Matt (Alex Russell, Almost King) as a ride to school and someone to pal around with. After an evening of abuse from his father, Andrew sneaks out of the house and goes with Matt and his camera to a party. While there, he, Matt and super popular Steve Montgomery (Michael B. Jordon, Red Tails) find a tunnel in the field with strange noises and stranger humming crystalline outcroppings. When Steve blacks out after touching the crystals, the three of them retreat from the tunnel and the party to recover. Quickly, they discover that they can attract, repel and move objects with the power of their will, and whatever power that they acquired from the tunnels. With practice their powers and control grow, and their bond of friendship strengthens. But with great power comes great responsibility (thanks, Stan Lee!) Decisions have to be made as to what they can do with their new found powers, and what they should do with their powers.

In a climate where the premier genres are the superheroes and the superhuman, Landis and Trank bring to the screen something fresh and original. In the last few years, genre films have tried to humanize the superhuman. Christopher Nolan decamped and de-gothed The Dark Knight, Peter Berg brought to the screen an original concept in Will Smith as the down-and-out superman Hancock, Matthew Vaughn brought a de-powered and well-meaning kids to the tights with Kick-Ass. Marvel and DC Comics have hit the apex of their popularity and exposure with multiple franchises hitting the screens full-tilt for big box office success. Landis and Trank take a comic book cliche for endowing powers and makes the results a true new story perfect for the social media, slacker mentality, YouTuber, post-Columbine age.

Although intolerance and teenage cruelty is not at all new, Chronicle takes a step closer to the real world than any of mutant hatred in X-Men: First Class. Depressed, anti-social slacker Andrew faces a sick mother and an absentee father. Dressed in gray hooded sweat jackets and a long coat, and sporting a sunless pale skin tone, you expect Andrew to start abusing of his powers. All in all, Andrew's descent to 'the dark side' is only a question of when. Chronicle is an origin of both the birth of good and evil, taking into account nature, nurture, and core dispositions at play. And with every great origin tale, the best villains do not consider themselves evil at all.

The story slowly builds, ratcheting up a bit at a time as Andrew, Matt and Steve explore and expand their powers. When the final face-off commences in downtown Seattle, the action is both realistic and over the top. The combatants crash through buildings, pummel through the floors and ceilings of condo apartments and dodge hurled through air city buses. With equal and opposite power, can one overcome the other?

Taking advantage of the popular mock documentary style, Chronicle does something that films like Paranormal Activity, The Devil Inside, and The Last Exorcism struggled with. With the first person camera presentation, those stories are over with the demise of the last character. Trank uses Andrew's telekinetic ability to float the camera or smart phones along almost without second thought, following all of the characters throughout the film. Inventive and simple, the cinematic tactic works to great effect!

A huge fan of the genre, Chronicle surprises and pleases. It may not have the glitz or glamour of the big tent pole superhero franchises coming out this Spring and Summer, but Chronicle brings the super-powered action/adventure back down to earth.

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WORTH: Matinee or DVD