Photo: The Weinstein Co.
One of the film's I'm happiest to see as part of the Cannes Film Festival is John Hillcoat's Lawless starring Tom Hardy (The Dark Knight Rises) and Shia LaBeouf (Transformers) as the freewheelin' Bondurants brothers in what is described as a true story centered on the bootlegging siblings.
Once titled The Wettest County in the World by Matt Bondurant, writing about his grandfather and two granduncles, the film follows the story of the rural hard-men that created the big city gangsters. Brazen and fearless, these young rebel brothers helped build the American Dream in this exuberant tale of what was to become crime's first major gold rush. The youngest brother, Jack (LaBeouf), fancies himself the next Al Capone; he dreams of sharp suits, guns, girls and fast cars, no matter the cost.
Ambitious and impulsive, Jack takes the family's small--scale moonshining operation to the big leagues, to impress the gorgeous but off--limits Amish girl, Bertha (Mia Wasikowska). The middle brother, Howard (Jason Clarke), is the brawling muscle -- loyal but reckless -- never one to turn down a taste of white lightning. And eldest brother, Forrest (Hardy), reluctantly accepts the changing times with grace and grit, leading the family with strength of character and silent determination against the beginnings of corporate greed. An enigmatic and stunning Maggie (Jessica Chastain) comes to town with a hidden past, igniting his passion and almost saving him in the process. As the Bondurants' legend grows, so too does the danger, and it's not long before the brothers must face the consequences of their transgressions, or rewrite the myth and the law themselves. Guy Pearce and Gary Oldman co-star.
The film won't hit theaters until August 31, and if the confidence the Weinstein Co. is showing in it by premiering it in France three months early is any sign, we are in for a treat.
You can check out the first trailer for the film directly below.
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Looks excellent!
Brad it saids no longer available
LaBeouf, Hardy, Oldman, Pearce & the beautiful and sexy Jessica Chastain in the same movie? I'm automatically in.
Looks great! Wish it had kept it's original title... but regardless, I'm looking forward to this
I agree that the original title was much more atmospheric and intriguing. Still, maybe redressing it with a generic action title might get more people to see it (sad that that may be the case). Either way, it looks terrific; I'll definitely be there opening weekend.
Tom Hardy + Shia La Beouf= Intriguing.
I'll be there for sure.
I saw a mostly finished cut of the film back in October, when it was still titled "The Wettest County in the World." I thought it was quite good, with some minor missteps, but the performances were all fantastic and I'm interested to see how it does/if they cleaned anything up in the past six months. Oldman's role is really small, as is Wasikowska's, so it's strange they both got billed before Chastain and Pearce -- both of whom are in most of the film. Oh, and Hardy was the shining actor, so he's gonna have a good year.
Still, having big names like Oldman and Wasikowska in the overall cast, no matter how large they're roles are, doesn't hurt in a cast like this.
Oh not at all, but they all have big names so I just found it odd that they were both cited before Chastain and Pearce. Not that it matters and/or reflects any misgivings about the film. Ha it just bothered me since at the Q&A after the film the lack of screentime for Oldman and Wasikowska was brought up frequently.
I've lived in Virginia my whole life and I know all about Franklin County and its moonshine. So I'm definitely excited for this.
Looks like Hardy or Oldman could be up for best supporting cone Oscar season for this film.
Wow..this looks fantastic. Beautifully shot, excellent dialogue and some great acting. This is released quite early for it to be a major Oscar contender but could definately be a player there.
Looks more mainstream shoot 'em up than Oscar bait. Unless trailer is misleading.
Hardy will rule awards seasons this year. Leading for Lawless, Supporting for Bane (hoping he wins it) and probably People/Teen Choice and MTV Movie Awards for This Means War! Yipee!
Looks great, I'll be looking forward to it.
This looks real good. Pretty stacked cast, except for labeouf. Wish it the best at Cannes.
I hope the film makers wise up and fix the trailer to feature more of the charismatic Tom Hardy. Who wants to see that annoying and talentless LeBeof kid get top billing over these fine actors? It's a travesty.