Legend review - criminal caper

The Kray twins rule over gangland London in the 1960s.

In Legend, two Tom Hardys play the notorious Kray twins – vicious gangsters who ruled the seedier end of London in the 1960s through intimidation, violence and bouts of murder. But the film plays it mostly for laughs.

It’s a strange choice by writer/director Brian Helgeland for such a potentially serious topic but it’s long been one way of approaching biopics about real people who are obviously villains. A film needs a hero to properly engage the audience, and the popularity of shows about criminals leaves us in little doubt that audiences enjoy watching bad folk doing bad things.

Which isn’t to say I didn’t find Legend entertaining. Tom Hardy is as committed as ever in his dual roles, effecting unique mannerisms, voice and physicality for each twin. It’s an amazing performance, and one which – thanks to some subtle effects work – makes you almost forget at times that the actor is replicated.

Much of the comedy comes from Ronnie Kray, the rather bulkier and be speckled brother. His one liners are sometimes hysterical and there’s a lot of time spent giggling at his outrageous behaviour. But as a real person who committed several murders and was a diagnosed paranoid schizophrenic, should we really be laughing?

There’s a bit of an attempt here to explore the relationship between the two men, with Reggie trying to control the violence of his brother and their close bond leading them into all kinds of dangerous waters. That adds some depth to the film but it never really delves into the reasoning behind most of their actions.

Beyond the strange comedy and arresting dual performance, Legend is pretty simplistic. No other characters make any kind of impression, and a large part of the story is spent on Reggie’s marriage to a bored-looking Emily Browning. The lack of significant events causes a real drag in the middle third, making the 131 minute running time feel even more drawn out.

Legend is entertaining enough and has plenty for Tom Hardy fans but there’s something more than a little sinister about putting such a glossy, glamorised sheen over these horrific acts.

3/5 - Daniel Anderson