Lawless

Set in the 1920s during the Prohibition era, this true story follows the three Bondurant brothers who run a successful bootlegging operation in Franklin County, Virginia. While the local police turn a blind eye, Jack (Shia LaBeouf), Howard (Jason Clarke) and Forrest (Tom Hardy) produce and distribute their illegal alcohol all over the county earning themselves a fearless reputation, but it's not too long before other gangsters and corrupt authorities, led by Special Agent Charlie Rakes (Guy Pearce) attempt to muscle in on their profits.

Mixed feelings about this one. On paper it looks like a good story based on true events, with a great cast (apart from LaBeouf!), but in reality it's somewhat of a disappointment. At 115 minutes, the film meanders along slowly and unevenly, jolting between violent drama and teen romance in an odd way, until we reach the clumsy climax without really feeling involved or caring how it all ends. Lack of chemistry between the brothers is an obvious problem. The youngest one (Jack) is an unlikeable cocky brat, the middle one (Howard) is sketchy at best, and only the eldest one (Forrest) manages to ellicit some emotional investment from the audience. To be fair, there are moments of enjoyment but they are few and far between. A bottle of moonshine in fact might have made this a more fun experience!

Performances are all pretty decent though. Tom Hardy quietly growls and grunts through his lines (not unlike Clint Eastwood might do) in his usual charismatic way, adding a dash of much-needed humour when you least expect it. Not sure how accurate his Southern drawl is, but it takes a while to get used to. Guy Pearce plays the sadistic evil baddie pretty well, even doing his best scenery-chewing Gary Oldman impression at one point to much amusement. Oldman himself is sadly underused, reduced to only a couple of scenes, a mere cameo. What a waste! Jessica Chastain notches up another solid supporting credit despite having to strip naked inexplicably, while Mia Wasikowska's preacher's daughter is sweet and captivating for the little screen time she gets. Shia LaBeouf does just enough not to be too irritating but also fails to garner much sympathy, and is a painfully wrong choice for a lead role. He's giving up "acting" in blockbusters but honestly I do wish he would give up appearing in films altogether.

The atmospheric soundtrack (by Nick Cave and other artists) is very good, the cover of Velvet Underground's "White Light/White Heat" being one of the high points, and the period sets/costume designs all look authentic. But overall this is still a second-rate gangster non-thriller that won't last too long in the memory. Much like alcohol consumption often proves - it seemed like a good idea at the time!

Certified 18 (some very graphic violence, f-bombs and ooh... a pair of boobs on display!)

UK release date: 7th September 2012

Hope Springs

Kay and Arnold (Meryl Streep and Tommy Lee Jones) have been married for 31 years, they live alone (their kids moved out long ago), and sleep in separate bedrooms with no intimate contact in years. Unhappy with the situation, frisky Kay books them a vacation in a seaside resort of Great Hope Springs in Maine, which includes intensive marriage counselling with Dr Bernie Feld (Steve Carell). Grumpy Arnold grudgingly agrees to go but will Dr Feld's probing questions be too much for him? Or will they get the spark back, and get it on? Argh, the suspense is killing me! (Not really.)

So the story may not sound too appealing but the stellar cast makes it interesting! Meryl Streep is her usual excellent self as the lonely wife longing for some action with her husband again, while Carell holds back his wise-cracking face-pulling persona playing the understated and reserved counsellor. But it's Tommy Lee Jones who deserves the most praise for his performance as the cynical and hilariously deadpan husband, breaking the daily routine to attend the counselling sessions even if grappling with Dr Feld's personal questions and "sexercises" is proving to be quite a challenge for his ego.

The film hits the spot when Kay and Arnold face up to the problems in their relationship and attempt to rediscover the passion, often with awkwardly humorous results. But the overbearing soundtrack soon kicks in, several musical montages bluntly enforcing the point already made, as Kay storms off in one scene, and Arnold wanders alone on a beach in another, until finally we're clobbered with that dreadfully dreary song "Why" by Annie Lennox. Major downside. This is where things go downhill, as the writer chickens out and we're left with a cosy, neatly wrapped-up resolution. Overall, Hope Springs is a watchable comedy drama thanks mainly to its cast and their chemistry. Like The Best Exotic Marigold Hotel earlier this year, it will find its (more mature?) audience and probably do reasonably well. But couples beware, you may squirm in your seats and/or need some tissues, depending on how rosy things are in your bedroom! 

UK release date: 14th September 2012