Lawless - B+

Rated R, 115 minutes

"Lawless" is an intense, bloody ride thru Prohibition

Tom Hardy

The summer of 2012 ends with a bang with the new fact-based Prohibition crime drama "Lawless," a well-acted, cracking piece of history. Based on Matt Bondurant's novel "The Wettest County in the World" that's taken from his family's own tales, it tells the true story of the Bondurant brothers, Jack (Shia LeBeouf), Howard (Jason Clarke) and Forrest (Tom Hardy), successful bootleggers in Virginia during the Prohibition era. Their loyalty is threatened by outsiders wanting a piece of their profits, not to mention a ruthless lawman named Charlie Rakes (Guy Pearce), who could destroy them completely. Nominated for this year's Cannes Film Festival's highest award, the Palme d'Or, "Lawless" is a familiar crime tale that pops with energy, loads of intensity and violence, particularly in its blood-soaked finale. Though the story romanticizes and stylizes crime in a manner similar to "Bonnie and Clyde," giving it a well-worn feel, the film is well-cast and well-acted, with memorable turns by a gruff Hardy (Bane from "The Dark Knight") and scene-chewing Pearce ("Prometheus"). "Transformers" star LeBeouf grounds the film solidly, though he's upstaged by Hardy and Pearce, not to mention the lovely Jessica Chastain ("The Help") and ivory-faced Mia Wasikowska ("Alice in Wonderland") as the love interests. The underused Gary Oldman ("The Dark Knight") also appears but much too briefly as a gangster who provides help to the boys. If "Lawless" has an Australian flavor to it, it's because director John Hillcoat ("The Proposition"), screenwriter/singer Nick Cave and actors Pearce and Clarke are all Australian, but they handle this slice of Americana well, with the automobiles, costumes and set design all effectively evoking the Prohibition-era 1920s South. "Lawless" falters some as it attempts to close out on an overly sentimental, even elegiac note, but it's otherwise an entertaining, ardent crime tale definitely worth a look.