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LEGEND Send This Review to a Friend
Reggie and Ronnie Kray were gangster twin brothers terrorizing and colorizing London during the swinging 1960s, and they became legendary. But, judging by “Legend,” they were vicious bastards, and Ronnie probably was criminally insane. “Legend,” written and directed by Brian Helgeland, is ridden with bloodshed and comes across as a very nasty film, even though there are some comic moments juiced by Ronnie’s candid behavior.
The main attraction of the film is the gimmick of having both Reggie and Ronnie played by the same actor, talented Tom Hardy. As Reggie he exhibits surface charm that covers his real nastiness and desire to become rich, flashy and important in a rise from his humble origin. As Ronnie, aided by an excellent make-up job, Hardy is transformed into insane behavior and viciousness, with an uncontrollable streak of impulsiveness. Heaven help their victims.
Falling romantically for Reggie, Frances, played at first with stars in her eyes by Emily Browning, is myopic about his inner character. She knows he is a gangster, but while enjoying the fruits of his luxury-filled life, she thinks she can change his ways. Reggie, incapable of true love that requires pleasing a woman emotionally, treats her shabbily until she can’t take it anymore.
The effect of watching all of this unfold is not a pretty picture, nor should it be. The story is really a tragic one, certainly for Frances, but also for the trajectory of the Krays, who wound up in prisons (they have since died) and for the victims whom they brutalized. Although the film is directed effectively and Hardy is superb in his double duty performances, watching “Legend” is an unsavory experience. A Universal release. Reviewed November 20, 2015.
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