Lawless

Brainless, plotless, gutless. A flat gangster film for beginners, which is the same as counterfeit whiskey, has all the necessary ingredients, but its taste lacks any of the sophistication of the original. If some people are satisfied with Hardy with a single grimace, Pearce acting on the verge of tolerability and LaBeouf the same as always, then by all means. I expect more from a prohibition gangster film than the familiar sentimental macho poses... (03/07/2012)

This is what I was expecting from Michael Mann’s Public Enemies and I was disappointed. John Hillcoat and Nick Cave and a bunch of littleknown actors created a gangster film from the era of prohibition, where the goal is to portray the characters and their stories, rather than visual epicness (on the contrary, the visuals are rather dull and faded, for some incomprehensible reasons). A super bad villain, blood and brutality, friendship, brotherhood, black humor, feminine beauty and tenderness, and a final massacre. All of this blended together to create 100%-pure genre entertainment of a distinctive character. I vacillated between four and five stars, finally settling on five thanks to the festival atmosphere. [KVIFF] (04/07/2012)

It is excellently mixed both in terms of characters and style, as well as audiovisual composition. It is clear from the very beginning that it will not be a technically inventive and sophisticated film, but rather a slightly intimate and twisted ride that, in some aspects, reminds of Tarantino in the violence, the antagonist and the dialogues. However, it is a classic, linearly told gangster story about friendship and love during the Prohibition era. Some things may not work as they should or are a bit of a safe bet (the musical score, shootouts where we wouldn't expect them, the final carnage). But that the screenplay is unpredictable, you don’t know what will happen in 10 minutes, and this tells me that this thing certainly deserves high ratings and recognition. It is difficult within the genre to create something original based solely on internal, non-technical attributes of a film. At least partially, they have succeeded here. (06/10/2012)

A slice of family history that only works in its two hours of runtime when it scores points with good actors and brutal violence, but also forgets the characters. Hardy just grunts and LaBeouf builds an empire out of nothing; it’s got the same feelings as Proposition, copying from everywhere, but with a beautiful signature. (26/09/2012)

Do you love Prohibition? Okay, then. Are you ready for some real bloody carnage? Okay, then. Are you interested in something more than just a bloody slaughter? Then you're in the wrong place. Of course, for those interested in a more comprehensive look at Prohibition, I recommend the series Boardwalk Empire. (08/02/2017)