Picture a family where the boiling point is
low, the boundaries within it are so tight that loyalty takes precedence over
morality, little is learned from mistakes made or punishments rendered, and at
least one member of the family is psychotic, but intelligence and craftiness
are high, and you will already be acquainted with the entertaining Kray
family. Twins Ronnie and Reggie
(both played by Tom Hardy) seem to be chips off the old block, if glimpses of
their father and mother are any indication. They’re successful in the nightclub/casino business—at least
Reggie is—and are even courted by the notorious American Meyer Lansky to share
business profits. The problem is
that Reggie keeps getting put into prison, and he leaves the business to Ronnie
to run.
Legend is based on John Peerson’s book, The Profession of Violence, in which he
tells the story of how the Kray twins built a huge criminal network in London
in the 1960’s. Swindling,
extortion, murder—they would stop at nothing if their ire was sparked or they
saw a competitive edge. Director
Brian Helgeland, screenwriter for 42,
Robin Hood, and The Taking of Pelham,
as well as Legend, presents what
appears to be a realistic picture of the Krays and their world. He keeps an even pace, and maintains
enough suspense to keep us engaged to the end.
One twin, Ronnie, is gay, but Reggie falls head
over heels with the sister of one of his friends, who is just the opposite in
personality and values as the Kray family. Frances (Browning) is completely genuine, emotionally
grounded (despite a mother who only knows how to preach instead of reason with
her daughter about dating a gangster), and incredibly naïve. This is exactly what attracts Reggie,
who appears to be sincere in his intentions to make substantive changes, but is
constantly torn between that and loyalty to his family. He’s the classic abusive husband who
forcefully promises to make changes, but reverts to his core under stress.
Tom Hardy’s portrayal of the twins is
noteworthy, given they are so different in personality. He does such a good job, it makes you
appreciate the power of the personality over the visual image of a person. There are tiny things—such as the
exposure of more or fewer teeth—and the manner of speaking, but the largest
contrast is between how they conduct themselves socially. Reggie is much more smooth and
appealing then Ronnie, who, like the crazy person he is, blurts out whatever is
on his mind—which is often a skewed picture. Reggie is calculating; whereas Ronnie is instantly
reactive.
Emily Browning is a fine partner with Hardy in
his Reggie role. She captures a character
who is subtle, sometimes surprising, but always thoughtful, pensive even,
despite being regarded as rather empty headed.
Another big plus to this film is Carter
Burwell’s music. He is uncanny in
setting the perfect music, song, or tune that captures the emotional tone of
every scene, especially the big ones, or introduces a dark, violent sequence.
Perhaps this was only a problem for me, but I
had difficulty understanding much of the dialog in Cockney. Hardy as Reggie talking in a low
indistinct voice or Ronnie as blustering and complaining was difficult to
understand. I realize the
filmmakers’ interest in conveying messages about the characters in this way,
but if the audience can’t understand the dialog, it detracts from the
movie.
Tom Hardy doubled is worth the price of
a ticket!
Grade: B By Donna
R. Copeland
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