Lawless is based upon the real life Bondurant brothers of Franklin County, Virginia and how they fought corrupt law enforcement officials when they insisted on a cut of the brothers’ lucrative bootlegging business. Eldest brother Forrest (Tom Hardy, This Means War) was the stuff of legends around Franklin County, having survived both war and disease, while others around him perished. Partly because of this, he was both feared and respected by those in his county and he ran his small but efficient bootlegging business with his younger brothers Howard (Jason Clarke) and Jack (Shia LeBeouf) without fear of reprisal. They shared a little extra here and there with the cops and they were left alone. They also operated a small diner, with the help of their lovely new hire from Chicago, Maggie Beauford (Jessica Chastain, The Help). However, when Special Deputy Charlie Rakes (Guy Pearce) is brought in by higher level officials to either shut down all bootleggers in Franklin or take a hefty cut, the Bondurant boys decide not to take it lying down and they openly defy Rakes.

Soon, gangsters from Chicago step in to make a violent point and Jack takes it upon himself to keep the business going with Forrest out of commission. He enlists the assistance of his best friend Cricket Pate (Dane DeHaan), a slightly crippled boy with a knack for making good moonshine and souping up cars. Before they know it, they are making deals with notorious Chicago gangster Floyd Banner (Gary Oldham) and living the high life. This only enrages Rakes more and he comes back stronger than ever to make those country boys pay in any way he can. In between all of this is a tender love story between Jack and Bertha Minnix (Mia Wasikowska), a young Mennonite preacher’s daughter with a rebellious streak, fortunately for Jack. Meanwhile, against all odds, Maggie and Forrest find themselves falling for one another, despite the violence that rages all around them.

Lawless is simply fantastic, not just because of its excellent screenplay, penned by the legendary Nick Cave of Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds, but also because it is based upon a true story and has a wonderful cast of brilliant actors. Tom Hardy, despite being devastatingly handsome, is also an amazing actor. His performance is one of incredibly controlled violence, a storm constantly brewing right under the surface. As he calmly defies these men who seek to destroy him, you can just tell that the undercurrent of destruction is just right there, waiting to reveal itself in brass-knuckled splendor. As great as Hardy is, Jason Clarke and Shia LeBeouf are equally superb in their performances. Clarke just seems animalistic at times, always drunk on moonshine and like a rabid dog, ready to be released when Forrest gives the word. Meanwhile, Shia as Jack is unsure of himself, being the smallest and weakest of the bunch, but he finally finds his strength in his business savvy and his streak for revenge against the evil Rakes. Guy Pearce is just downright creepy. I’ve always thought Pearce was dashing and enjoy him in his roles, but he is a rude, greasy, slimy, sleazy piece of garbage as Charlie Rakes, so yeah, he played him perfectly. Chastain and Wasikowska round out the cast as the romantic interests in the film and do a great job. Truly everyone is flawless in their roles.

Lawless in high def is quite lovely. The vistas of Franklin Country are really beautiful and everything is perfectly crisp. Special features are enjoyable and include commentary by Director John Hillcoat and author (and grandson of Jack Bondurant) Matt Bondurant, a selection of deleted scenes, a Willie Nelson music video, and featurettes on the true story of Franklin County, Franklin County then vs. now, and the true story of the Bondurant boys. While I am not a country music fan, the soundtrack fit the theme perfectly with tunes from a band called "The Bootleggers" often featuring EmmyLou Harris.

While this is not the typical "period drama" that I enjoy, I absolutely loved seeing Lawless. The story was great, made even better by the fact that it was based on a true story, the acting was splendid and the action was intense. I highly recommend Lawless even if you only have a passing interest in the story of bootlegging. The cast and story make it well worth your time.