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Lawless (2012)

R  |   |  Crime, Drama  |  29 August 2012 (USA)
7.3
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Ratings: 7.3/10 from 168,779 users   Metascore: 58/100
Reviews: 273 user | 350 critic | 38 from Metacritic.com

Set in Depression-era Franklin County, Virginia, a trio of bootlegging brothers are threatened by a new special deputy and other authorities angling for a cut of their profits.

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(screenplay), (novel)
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Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
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Tim Tolin ...
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Deputy Jeff Richards
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Sheriff Hodges
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Tizwell Minnix
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Storyline

In 1931, in Franklin County, Virginia, Forrest Bondurant is a legend as immortal after surviving the war. Together with his brothers Howard and the coward Jack, the Bondurant family has a distillery and bootlegging business. When the corrupt District Attorney Mason Wardell arrives in Franklin with the unscrupulous Special Deputy Charles Rakes, the Bondurant family refuses to pay the required bribe to the authorities. Rakes pursues the brothers and unsuccessfully tries to find their distillery. Meanwhile Forrest hires the waitress Maggie, a woman with a hidden past in Chicago, and they fall in love with each other. Jack courts the preacher's daughter Bertha Minnix and deals a great load of alcoholic liquor with the powerful gangster Floyd Banner. Jack shows off in Franklin attracting the attention of Rakes that finds the location of their distillery. When he kills the crippled Cricket Pete, the locals join forces to face the corrupt authorities. Written by Claudio Carvalho, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil

Plot Summary | Plot Synopsis

Taglines:

When the law became corrupt, outlaws became heroes.

Genres:

Crime | Drama

Motion Picture Rating (MPAA)

Rated R for strong bloody violence, language and some sexuality/nudity | See all certifications »

Parents Guide:

 »
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Details

Country:

Language:

Release Date:

29 August 2012 (USA)  »

Also Known As:

The Promised Land  »

Filming Locations:

 »

Box Office

Budget:

$26,000,000 (estimated)

Opening Weekend:

$10,001,566 (USA) (31 August 2012)

Gross:

$37,397,291 (USA) (21 November 2012)
 »

Company Credits

Show detailed on  »

Technical Specs

Runtime:

Sound Mix:

| |

Color:

Aspect Ratio:

2.35 : 1
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Did You Know?

Trivia

Tom Hardy's character was originally supposed to be slimmer but Hardy had to bulk up for the movie The Dark Knight Rises (2012). See more »

Goofs

The box camera that Jack took photos with throughout the last half of the movie was a Kodak Brownie Target Six-20 which wasn't in production until 1946 - nine years after he used it. See more »

Quotes

Forrest Bondurant: I'm a Bondurant. We don't lay down for nobody.
See more »

Connections

Referenced in Film '72: Episode dated 12 November 2014 (2014) See more »

Soundtracks

Night of Canakkale
Written and performed by David Sardy and Jordan Tappis
Featuring Wayne Bergeron
See more »

Frequently Asked Questions

See more (Spoiler Alert!) »

User Reviews

 
Bondurant Family Values
2 April 2013 | by (Buffalo, New York) – See all my reviews

Lawless is the story of the three Bondurant brothers from Franklin County, Virginia, Tom Hardy, Jason Clarke, and the runt of the litter Shia LaBoeuf. Before World War I the Bondurants made a good living selling moonshine, but now Prohibition has arrived and there are new problems on the horizon for those in that business.

One of the most colossal pieces of stupidity that America ever indulged in was Prohibition. We actually amended our constitution so that we could regulate morals. A good lesson for those who think regulation of one's personal behavior is a desired thing. What the Bondurants have to deal with is law enforcement which is in the form of a corrupt District Attorney Tim Tolin.

An idea like Prohibition is sure to bring out the corruption in many who see it as a way to take bribes. Tolin is one of those and he has a special deputy in Guy Pearce ready to enforce the law and those who don't bribe. That would be the Bondurants and we have the makings of an old fashioned mountain feud brewing.

LaBoeuf has a lot of trouble living up to the legend his brothers have created. In fact his weakness is the cause of a lot of problems. But when a young mountain kid Dane DeHaan is murdered by Pearce that gets a war started.

Both LaBoeuf and Pearce deliver some standout performances in Lawless. This is based on a novelization of some real incidents by a descendant of the Bondurant family. The recreation of Prohbition era rural Virginia is well done. Definitely worth a look.


23 of 31 people found this review helpful.  Was this review helpful to you?

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