Lawless Frontier (2012)

The London brothers are making their way through the Dakota territory, headed for the Black Hills. Beau (Brad Martocello) dreams of riches. Older brother Jacob (Walker Hare) warns they’ll have to work hard for any riches they earn. Youngest brother Colin (Chance Lange) thinks it’s about time something went right for the brothers.

Then they come upon a white woman and two Indians being held up at gunpoint by bandits with murder on their minds. Beau saves the trio, but also decides this is the chance the brothers have been waiting for — they steal the same gold that had tempted the bandits.

And so begins a life of crime for the trio, who are joined by one of the Indians (Larry White Crow) as Howahkan, who thinks he owes Beau his life, and two other newcomers — Martha (Vanessa Bartlett) and Lester (Arin Winger).

They rob banks; they rob trains. And younger brother Colin is itching for a chance to take the lead role in a robbery. Beau relents, over Jacob’s objections. When the job goes back and Colin is seriously wounded, the already strained relationship between Beau and Jacob reaches a breaking point.

Review:

Some films should come with a warning label that tell you precisely what you’re getting. In this case, you’re getting a student film — a Western with four parts, each directed by a different senior at Fairfield University in Connecticut.

The narrative includes lots of flashbacks and a several gaping holes. In fact, the synopsis on the film’s website is a whole lot more complete than the completed film.

Martocello and Hare do a decent job in the lead roles as feuding brothers, but this was a film made on a shoestring budget — and a very thin shoestring at that.

Brad Martocello as Beau London in Lawless Frontier (2012)

Directed by:
Robert Cammisa
Dennis Donovan
Patrick Hendrickson
Matthew Petterson

Cast:
Brad Martocello … Beau London
Walker Hare …. Jacob London
Chance Lange … Colin London
Larry White Crow … Howahkan
Vanessa Bartlett … Martha
Jim Kent … Taylor
Arin Winger … Lester
Julia Yarwood … Margaret
Cody Jones … Misoun
Jeff M. Otterman … Thomas
Pat Ginnetty … Henry

Runtime: 81 min.

aka: Dawn of Conviction

Walker Hare as Jacob London in Lawless Frontier (2012)

Memorable lines:

Jacob London, to brother Colin, as he dreams of buying a steak dinner: “Opportunity ain’t just gonna fall in our lap, ya hear?”
Beau London: “What if it does? It ain’t likely, but it ain’t impossible. I say it’s about damn time something starts goin’ our way.”

Jacob London to brother Beau: “You say my gang as though you own us. You might lead, Beau, but I’m still the older brother.”

Jacob London: “Don’t much like robbin’ trains.”
Martha: “Then you’re in the wrong profession.
Jacob: “Can’t scout ’em out like a bank. It’s always a draw. Never know what’ll make that turn.”
Martha: “My bet is, you’ll see a train.”

Jacob, after a tussle with Beau: “Go ahead, Beau. Kill me. That seems to solve all your problems. Oh, but there is one thing. You don’t get any money for killing me.”
Beau: “That’s right, because nobody will give a shit when you’re dead. Just like nobody gives a shit that you’re alive.”

Jacob to Beau: “We were good men once.”

Chance Lange as Colin London in Lawless Frontier (2012)

Vanessa Bartlett as Martha in Lawless Frontier (2012)