Legend (B or 3/4 stars)
'Legend', a crime drama directed by Oscar-winning writer Brian Helgeland, tells the (mostly) true tale of twin brothers, Reggie & Ronnie Kray (both played by the incredible Tom Hardy), who became notorious gangsters in London during the Swinging '60s. 'Legend' charts their rise to power as the kill-off rivals, consolidate their hold on the poor side of town (East End), then move on to the posh West End where the Richardson gang rules. Told through the eyes of Frances (Emily Browning), the young, sweet woman who fell for the unrelenting charms of Reggie, we see the lives of these 2 vicious gangster twins who, in actuality, were opposites in nearly every way. Frances' Reggie is suave, cool-as-a-cucumber, relatively reasonable, cunning, socially adept, & even romantic. He's also unflinchingly loyal to Ronnie, "He's my brother", "he has a heart of gold". Still -- he's a brutal killer.
As for Ronnie, well, he's a large, aggressive, impulsive, unpredictable, bespectacled, homosexual-and-proud-of-it paranoid schizophrenic maniac with moments of surprising tenderness -- and he's a brutal killer. Throughout their dominance in both the East & West End of London, these 'businessmen' become involved in the swinging nightclub scene, which brings them into contact with the wealthy & powerful (characters played by the likes of David Thewlis, of Harry Potter) and, eventually, the American Mafia (characters played by the likes of Chazz Palminteri -- loved that). Peppered with dark humor throughout the proceedings, this film is a mostly downbeat affair that is emboldened by Tom Hardy's performance as problems arise for Reggie's wife Frances, as well as our twins - who are doggedly pursued by a Scotland Yard detective (Christopher Eccleston) who is heel bent on bringing the Krays to justice.
Tom Hardy is SO good here that he makes it easy to forget that he's playing such different characters that happen to be identical twins; managing to make them two distinct shades of savagery. Hardy is a wildly charismatic actor whom you can't tear your eyes away from when he's onscreen. And he's just great fun to watch here, especially as madman Ronnie, a perpetually about-to-explode spark plug of unfiltered brutality. Having said that, there's that aforementioned tenderness I mentioned above, and a childlike need for love & acceptance, too. I've seen Hardy in enough movies now to know that he's one of the best out there; an actor with charisma AND range (everything from Star Trek to Bronson to Inception/The Dark Knight Rises to Warrior to This Means War to The Drop to Locke to Mad Max to something like this -- blockbusters, indies, dramas, comedies, villain roles, sweet-natured, et al). I also liked Emily Browning (blah narration notwithstanding) as the emotionally fragile wife; the character who we probably feel the most empathy for.
But 'Legend' is far from perfect. First, it took me a good 15 minutes to get used to the garbled line deliveries of characters as they blast away in their cockney accents. It's a problem because it takes you OUT of the film experience & only serves as an unwanted distraction. I wasn't immersed for quite some time. I'd say the midsection of the film is where it thrives. I settled-in to their accents. We get to know the Krays a bit more. The violence is blunt, but executed in a fun way. London's underbelly is inherently fascinating. And it helps that the movie, at heart, is a story of relationships. The relationship btwn. Reggie & Frances is filled with romance, as well as some horrifically damaging happenstance and, the relationship btwn. the brothers offers multi-dimensional depth of character. 'Reasonable' Reggie is tasked to care for the more 'combustible' Ronnie, which actually proves to be detrimental for the former.
All that stuff is good. But 'Legend' can't "stick" the landing. It started out iffy with those dodgy, garbled accents ... righted itself in the midsection .... then fizzles out near the end. Modeled after Goodfellas, Brian Helgeland can't sustain that classic's similar energy & interest. Even though I was glued to the screen whenever Hardy was on, some sequences fail to rivet. And the final 20 minutes or so is both super violent (difficult-to-watch physical abuse from a man to a woman, graphic shootings, intense beatings, long-sustained stabbings) and the trajectory of the plot gets VERY downbeat/depressing. I realize that this movie is based on a true story, but boy are those final 20 minutes a buzz kill of what had been a fairly engrossing, darkly humorous, fun crime drama. See this film for Hardy's magnetic virtuoso performance as the dysfunctional, mysterious Krays, and see it for a glimpse of London's seamy underworld in the ‘60s. I just wish the script wasn't so uneven. And I wish I walked out of the theater not feeling as bummed & neutered of the fun I'd been having.
As for Ronnie, well, he's a large, aggressive, impulsive, unpredictable, bespectacled, homosexual-and-proud-of-it paranoid schizophrenic maniac with moments of surprising tenderness -- and he's a brutal killer. Throughout their dominance in both the East & West End of London, these 'businessmen' become involved in the swinging nightclub scene, which brings them into contact with the wealthy & powerful (characters played by the likes of David Thewlis, of Harry Potter) and, eventually, the American Mafia (characters played by the likes of Chazz Palminteri -- loved that). Peppered with dark humor throughout the proceedings, this film is a mostly downbeat affair that is emboldened by Tom Hardy's performance as problems arise for Reggie's wife Frances, as well as our twins - who are doggedly pursued by a Scotland Yard detective (Christopher Eccleston) who is heel bent on bringing the Krays to justice.
Tom Hardy is SO good here that he makes it easy to forget that he's playing such different characters that happen to be identical twins; managing to make them two distinct shades of savagery. Hardy is a wildly charismatic actor whom you can't tear your eyes away from when he's onscreen. And he's just great fun to watch here, especially as madman Ronnie, a perpetually about-to-explode spark plug of unfiltered brutality. Having said that, there's that aforementioned tenderness I mentioned above, and a childlike need for love & acceptance, too. I've seen Hardy in enough movies now to know that he's one of the best out there; an actor with charisma AND range (everything from Star Trek to Bronson to Inception/The Dark Knight Rises to Warrior to This Means War to The Drop to Locke to Mad Max to something like this -- blockbusters, indies, dramas, comedies, villain roles, sweet-natured, et al). I also liked Emily Browning (blah narration notwithstanding) as the emotionally fragile wife; the character who we probably feel the most empathy for.
But 'Legend' is far from perfect. First, it took me a good 15 minutes to get used to the garbled line deliveries of characters as they blast away in their cockney accents. It's a problem because it takes you OUT of the film experience & only serves as an unwanted distraction. I wasn't immersed for quite some time. I'd say the midsection of the film is where it thrives. I settled-in to their accents. We get to know the Krays a bit more. The violence is blunt, but executed in a fun way. London's underbelly is inherently fascinating. And it helps that the movie, at heart, is a story of relationships. The relationship btwn. Reggie & Frances is filled with romance, as well as some horrifically damaging happenstance and, the relationship btwn. the brothers offers multi-dimensional depth of character. 'Reasonable' Reggie is tasked to care for the more 'combustible' Ronnie, which actually proves to be detrimental for the former.
All that stuff is good. But 'Legend' can't "stick" the landing. It started out iffy with those dodgy, garbled accents ... righted itself in the midsection .... then fizzles out near the end. Modeled after Goodfellas, Brian Helgeland can't sustain that classic's similar energy & interest. Even though I was glued to the screen whenever Hardy was on, some sequences fail to rivet. And the final 20 minutes or so is both super violent (difficult-to-watch physical abuse from a man to a woman, graphic shootings, intense beatings, long-sustained stabbings) and the trajectory of the plot gets VERY downbeat/depressing. I realize that this movie is based on a true story, but boy are those final 20 minutes a buzz kill of what had been a fairly engrossing, darkly humorous, fun crime drama. See this film for Hardy's magnetic virtuoso performance as the dysfunctional, mysterious Krays, and see it for a glimpse of London's seamy underworld in the ‘60s. I just wish the script wasn't so uneven. And I wish I walked out of the theater not feeling as bummed & neutered of the fun I'd been having.