I think he gives a fabulous performance."įlanagan went on to describe the film's accuracy in portraying the romance between Reggie and Frances (Reggie apparently really did propose to her by climbing up a drainpipe to her bedroom window, as shown in the film).
And then, on the other hand, when he plays Ron, he’s menacing and he’s got the stare absolutely right. He’s got everything right as Reggie: the walk, the beautiful hands, the way he holds the cigarettes and that frown which was always quizzical as if he’s just about to ask you a question. Her overall opinion? "I thought the film was great.
But just how much of the film is accurate to the real-life crimes of the Krays? In The Guardian, a close friend of the family, Maureen Flanagan, gave commentary on what she thought the film got right and what it missed the mark on. The material stems from the Kray twins' lives, as told through a book titled The Profession of Violence: The Rise and Fall of the Kray Twins by John Pearson. Reggie's wife Frances Shea (Emily Browning), who committed suicide in 1967, narrates the film from the afterlife, so it's no surprise that Legend touches upon some pretty heavy topics, such as mental illness and murder. The film charts their rise, but also the downfall that ultimately landed the siblings in prison in 1969. The brothers are English gangsters who run amok in London during the '50s and '60s, mingling with the underworld just as easily as they do with politicians and celebrities. Based on a true story, Legend follows the tale of Reginald "Reggie" Kray and his twin brother, Ronald "Ronnie" Kray (both portrayed by all around great guy Tom Hardy). 20 (the British crime thriller debuted in the UK on Sept. It follows the Krays as they move with apparent impunity from prison to street and back again, vexing both cops (Christopher Eccleston’s righteous Scotland Yard man) and robbers (David Thewlis’ uppity gangland accountant).If you're unfamiliar with the infamous Kray twins, you'll get to know them pretty well after watching Legend, which opens in U.S. The story ricochets from one intense scene to another, rarely taking a breather. Considering himself a suave club owner and Casanova, he dazzles his young bride Frances (Emily Browning), who provides a female POV on male villainy through her own twin role of shocked spouse and cautionary narrator.īoth of Hardy’s performances find plenty of room to roam in writer/director Brian Helgeland’s pinball narrative, which struggles for clarity and meaning. Playboy Reggie is the smooth criminal, one who rejects the gangster label and keeps his heat on slow boil unless provoked. Ronnie casually informs a visiting American mobster (Chazz Palminteri) about his homosexuality – outlawed in Britain at the time – and practically dares the nonplussed Yank to take issue with it. Wild-eyed Ronnie’s psychopathic yen for violence finds Hardy at full throttle, threatening to overwhelm the screen with outsized acts of violence and jaw-dropping utterances. Hardy vibrantly plays both Ronnie and Reggie Kray, the Cockney gangster twins who swaggered across the London of the Swinging ’60s, leaving a scarlet trail of bodies and broken bones while simultaneously courting celebrity attention and status. It’s also an object lesson in how great acting can transcend a film’s limitations. Watching Tom Hardy nearly upstage himself in the gangster biopic Legend makes for mesmerizing viewing.
Starring Tom Hardy, Emily Browning and David Thewlis.
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