Legend Film Review: Tom Hardy Delivers A Seamless, Multifaceted Performance

Director: Brian Helgeland
Cast: Tom Hardy, Emily Browning, Colin Morgan, David Thewlis, Christopher Eccleston, Chazz Palminteri, Tara Fitzgerald, Taron Egerton
Rating: 18
Running time: 131mins
Release Date: 9 September, 2015 (United Kingdom), 2 October, 2015 (United States)

It has been one of the most highly anticipated films of the year: seeing Tom Hardy on double duty playing both Kray brothers; Ronnie and Reggie on the big screen in the new gangster movie, LEGEND. It tells the story of London’s most infamous mobsters in the 1960s, but the tantalising aspect from the film was whether or not Hardy could pull off playing both brothers. The actor was sublime as a hardman in BRONSON, WARRIOR and THE DARK KNIGHT RISES, but taking on the criminal icons of the Kray twins comes with a weight of expectation and responsibility. Was that a problem for Hardy in this film? Nope, not at all. Not one bit. 

Rather refreshingly, director and writer Brian Helgeland starts the film off with the Kray’s already dominating the streets of London and we are spared any typical biopic formulaic elements of their childhood and youth growing up. It commences with the grittiest part of their lives; as we meet the twins ruling the roost in the East End of London. Their position in society is already established and their reputations and misdemeanours have not gone unnoticed by the law.

They’re already raging a war against their wannabe rivals and locked in a battle for supremacy as they expand their empire and work with gangsters from across the pond. Their great impact came from ruling not just the East End, where protection rackets and extortion were practically a tradition, but their power and control also extended to the West End. They became the new owners of clubs and casinos and became stars in their own rights, as they rubbed shoulders with starlets and singers, politicians and peers, and made themselves into figures too big to ignore.

There are no surprises with the character arcs; Ronnie Kray is blood-thirsty and illogical, believing that being patient doesn’t get you what you want and patience he certainly doesn’t have, as he served 3 years in prison for GBH where he was declared as clinically insane, showing elements of paranoid schizophrenia. Whereas Reggie was seen as the more sensible of the duo, the brains behind their dealings.

All of this information may come as no surprise, as it is a biopic about the Kray’s. Over the years, we have become witness to many films and books (John Pearson‘s The Profession of Violence notably stands out) about the twins and their brief but flamboyant rule over the London underworld of the Sixties. This angle has been used many times in documentaries and films, but what is successfully different in this film is Helgeland’s approach to telling the story.

The tyranny of the Kray’s has always been centre stage in such biopics, but in LEGEND the audience learns more about the personal side of the brothers, particularly Reggie’s burgeoning relationship with the 18-year-old Frances, AKA Frankie, which takes centre stage. For some, the film may not be as violent as expected, but then equally, if that is what is suppose to be at the forefront of the film, then there are many alternative choices that have covered just that in the past. LEGEND successfully avoids history repeating, making this biopic appear fresh and much more personal. 

Emily Browning plays Frances Shea, Reggie’s wife, who sagely and sadly narrates the plot that spans at least four years from beyond the grave. As Reggie’s wife, we see Frances transform into a fragile character and Browning played her role with such decadence and sensitivity, giving her just the right mix of defiance and despair as Reggie constantly cajoles with her emotions. This lengthy, engrossing underworld saga creditably attempts to work a female perspective — that of Reggie’s innocent wife — into these laddish proceedings. It’s certainly more softer than Peter Medak’s meaner and more brutal 1990 biopic THE KRAYS, which displayed an equally fine tale of the twins played by Gary and Martin Kemp.

Helgeland has fashioned a film which is somewhat of a triangle between Ronnie, Reggie and Frances, offering a different stance to the genre. The Kray’s are a part of London and its folklore. They have become a legend and this has remained a focal point throughout the film. The writer-come-director has produced a quality film with a tight budget and schedule he had to work with; utilising over 100 London locations with minimal set use in just over 50 days of production. 

The casting choices in the film are exceptional with the likes of Christopher Eccleston, David Thewlis, Taron Egerton and Colin Morgan to name but a few joining Hardy and Browning, who all delivered great performances. However, the film truly belongs to one person: Tom Hardy. He deserves all of the recognition his performance will undoubtedly – and deservedly – tot up in this film. He is on double duty in this film, but so exceptional is his delivery of the characters, he made it feel as though it was two different actors playing the diverse brothers – and that is no easy feat to achieve. Hardy is riveting in both roles and his seamless, multifaceted talent is evident throughout the film, as he bounces from the slick, sassy and charming Reggie, to the disorientated, sinister role of Ronnie.

Overall, LEGEND is brave, gritty and daring with an eclectic mix of passion and violence, fearlessness and insanity. The film commands your attention from the onset and sweeps you away back to the violent, hidden world of London in the Sixties. LEGEND has found a true legend of the big screen in Hardy in this thrilling gangster masterpiece, showing how the Kray’s succeeded in building a legend even if they failed to create an empire. 

Verdict

(You can also watch the cast’s world premiere interviews for LEGEND here.)

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