Director: Brian Helgeland
By Alex Watson
Although Brian Helgeland's Kray Twins biopic creaks in places, an excellent and fiery Tom Hardy performance provides Legend with enough fuel. Ronnie and Reggie Kray are worlds apart in persona but are very cut from the same cloth. Helgeland does provide some great sparkle and makes out what icons these two East London gangsters in the 1960's. Their legend may come to life here, sadly it is not all perfect beneath the gloss.
Frances (Emily Browning) tells the story of brothers Reggie and Ronnie Kray (both Tom Hardy)who rule London's East End with an iron fist. Although Scotland Yard Inspector Leonard 'Nipper' Brown (Christopher Eccleston) is on their case, no one dares touch them. Their rise to power is met by many bloody struggles as well as the problems caused by Ronnie's continuous violent temper. In the end, the pair will enter into gangster legend.
Although Peter Medak's 1990 twin biopic The Krays had its merits, it fell back far too easily on the assumption the boys were controlled by their mother. Legend stays free of the full backstory of the twins and instead focuses on their effort to secure London. Early on it is easy to see how narrator Frances is enamored with the confident and dazzling Reggie. He is the 'gangster prince' who oozes class and is beloved by all who serve him. Ronnie, on the other hand, is a like a bull in a china closet. A certified paranoid schizophrenic with a violent streak and also openly homosexual, he is the twin others avoid. Frances from much of the movie is blinded to the truth of the real monster that lurks beneath the surface.
The brothers through violence and intimidation have gained a certain credibility and this allows them to rub shoulders with stars. Even the American Mafia led by Angelo Bruno (Chazz Palminteri) wants a slice the action. The problem for the authorities is that they are virtually untouchable due to this. Ronnie is forever the bane of the twins existence as his unpredictable jumps out at the most unexpected moments. He mistrusts most outsiders, including Frances who is wary of her lack of acceptance but chooses to stay silent. Helgeland's movie loses some momentum due to its uncertain tone at points, early on some violence sequences are played almost for laughs. When going to war with the Richardson gang led by Charlie Richardson (Paul Bettany) there is a bar room brawl where Ronnie explodes at no one having guns. "A shootout is supposed to be a shootout!" he screams. You feel almost a darker tone is required that would have enhanced the fear their name alone would strike.
One neat touch that Legend provides is telling the tale through Frances' eyes. The lone female influence in Reggie's life, throughout she sees these men as both hero and villain. Although she adores her husband and still fights for the love they once shared, she is terrified of his attachment to Ronnie. Helgeland may give events a rather drawn out feel but their rise is not boring by any means. These two are portrayed as figures who fitted perfectly into the 1960's glamour and looking back it was quite something these two were so warmly embraced. Helgeland's overuse of violence, however, does leave a nasty after taste. In his defense, what better way of demonstrating the truth than the truth itself? London is ironically left on the back burner and by making the Krays the centerpiece, all else feels obsolete.
Tom Hardy is a hulking presence in this picture and is very much the power cell that gives this movie's heart beating. Sharing great chemistry with himself, he brings to life both tough persona's of the Kray Twins. As Reggie, he is the twinkling eyed scoundrel with undeniable charisma. Playing Ronnie he is the polar opposite and is stiff, nasally talking and a hotly suspicious wreck. Together on screen Hardy magnificent twice over and deserves contention this awards season. Rare is it to see an actor able to effectively play two intense characters at once. Hardy carries off with apparent ease. Emily Browning also deserves credit for her lower-key performance. As doe-eyed Frances, she is the voice of this movie that injects a degree of warmth.
Legend is a movie that is worth the admission fee purely for seeing Tom Hardy's two-handed performance. It may not be the perfect film, but still it is a great reminder of how sometimes crime can pay.
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