BLU-RAY
REVIEW: LAWLESS
12/10/12
OVERVIEW: Anchor Bay Entertainment and The Weinstein Company announced today the Blu-ray™ Combo Pack and DVD release of the critically acclaimed film, LAWLESS, from director John Hillcoat (The Road, The Proposition). Written by musician, composer and screenwriter, Nick Cave (The Proposition), inspired by the 2008 biographical novel The Wettest County In The World, LAWLESS follows the bootlegging Bondurant Brothers on their quest for the American Dream in Prohibition-era Virginia. Featuring an all-star cast that includes Shia LaBeouf (Transformers franchise, Disturbia), Tom Hardy (The Dark Knight Rises, Inception), Academy Award® nominee Gary Oldman (Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy, The Dark Knight Rises), Mia Wasikowska (Alice in Wonderland, Jane Eyre), Academy Award® nominee Jessica Chastain (Coriolanus, The Help) and Emmy® winner Guy Pearce (Mildred Pierce, The King's Speech), LAWLESS heads to retail on November 27, 2012.
LAWLESS, which was nominated for an illustrious Palme d'Or at the 2012 Cannes International Film Festival, also stars Jason Clarke (Texas Killing Fields, the upcoming The Great Gatsby) and Dane DeHaan (Chronicle, The Place Beyond the Pines).
The LAWLESS Blu-ray™ Combo Pack and DVD special features include an audio commentary with Director John Hillcoat and Author Matt Bondurant; two featurettes: "The True Story of the Wettest County In The World" and "Franklin County, VA: Then and Now"; Willie Nelson's "Midnight Run" music video; and deleted scenes.
SYNOPSIS:
They were brothers who became outlaws, and outlaws who became heroes...The three Bondurant boys
(Shia LaBeouf, Tom Hardy, Jason Clarke), along with their sultry new hire (Jessica Chastain), command the most lucrative bootlegging operation in Franklin County, Virginia. The locals consider them "indestructible." But the law - in the form of a corrupt special deputy (Guy Pearce) - wants a cut of their action, at any cost. When youngest brother Jack
(LaBeouf) gets a taste of power with a deadly gangster (Gary
Oldman), the whole business blows sky high. Based on the astonishing true story, the Bondurant brotherhood is the stuff of legend.
FILM REVIEW: Take a good look Hollywood; this is how you produce a great action movie that offers real entertainment value that will stand the test of time. Combine a great storyline, add skilled actors, sprinkle with the right amount of violence and romance for added flavor, and voilà you have the makings of Oscar-worthiness. The Proposition Writer Nick Cave and Director John
Hillcoat, are back at it again. This talented duo literally knocked this one out of the ballpark with an all-star lineup reminiscent of action flicks such as Gangs of New York and Brian De Palmer/Kevin Costner’s The Untouchables. This real-life storyline was virtually brought to life with the likes of Shia LaBeouf (Transformers), Tom Hardy (Inception) and Jason Clarke (Public Enemies). They are superb together as siblings, with support from veteran “bad guys,” such as Gary Oldman and Guy Pearce.
LaBeouf goes the distance, to play the role of weakling little brother whose destiny is to man up and protect the family’s reputation of being “immortals”. His character brings out the dynamics of his
skill set and drives him in to some of his finest acting, to date. He is absolutely spot-on in this role. As well, Hardy utilizes his bulky and often clumsy demeanor in the most awkward ways to play Forrest Bondurant, an outwardly arrogant Hillbilly who lacks tolerance for big-city folks and corrupt lawmen. His display of brawn with equal panache adds to the undertow of this movie and makes for one of the most interesting characters. Furthermore, I really enjoyed how Guy Pearce brought the antagonist role to life with his psychopathic arrogance and hatred for Southerners. His character pretty much sported a slicked-back, middle-parted hair-do, and barely visible eyebrows that made him nearly unrecognizable onscreen and added to the callousness of his character. He portrays the epitome of Lawmen walking the fine line between being law enforcement and being a gangster. He is awesome in this role and is well supported by Oldman’s Tommy-gun slinging character in the mobster role of Floyd Banner.
Needless to say, I thoroughly enjoyed this movie and if it was possible, I would give it a whopping six stars, but unfortunately I only rate out of five, so five out of five is the best I can do at this moment. Nevertheless, I am delighted to recommend this movie as one of the best action movies of the fall and it should certainly not be missed. It is a must see!
Review
By Movie-Man Stan
BLU-RAY:
The film is
presented in 1080P widescreen in a 2.35:1 aspect ration
preserving its theatrical format. The picture is just
flawless. Not only the picture looks great in
this release, also the sound it is good, a 5.1 DTS-HD Master
Audio (48kHz/24bit) in English that provides a
good complement to the picture. It also includes Spanish
subtitles.
VIDEO:
2.35:1 Anamorphic Widescreen 1080P
AUDIO:
English 5.1 DTS-HD Master
Audio Dolby Digital
Subtitles - English
Spanish
SPECIAL FEATURES:
Audio commentary with Director John Hillcoat and Author Matt Bondurant;
"The True Story of the Wettest County In The World"
"Franklin County, VA: Then and Now";
The Story of The
Bondurant Family
Willie Nelson's "Midnight Run" music
video
Deleted Scenes.
DVD Copy
Digital Copy
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