Legend

Release Date: September 9th, 2015
Running Time: 131 minutes
Directed by: Brian Helgeland
Written by: Brian Helgeland (adapted from the 1972 book The Profession of Violence by John Pearson)
Starring: Tom Hardy, Emily Browning, David Thewlis, Chazz Palminteri

Legend showcases Tom Hardy in a first-rate dual performance as infamous real life British gangsters the Krays, identical twin brothers who ruled London's criminal underworld in the 1960s. It's one part biographical drama and one part crime film. And while it might hit all the usual notes of the crime genre a little too much so, it's not without some noteworthy qualities.

Following typical formula, the story starts early on in the rise of the Krays' criminal enterprises, through to a few minor stints in prison from which they recover before hitting their stride as notorious gangsters with the police and politicians in their pockets. And then of course the downfall, which centers around the ongoing conflict between the two brothers and ultimately becomes their undoing as they're unable to reconcile their disparate personalities. Reggie is the calm, cool, collected one—the de facto boss—and Ronnie is the psychopathic loose cannon who might, and often does, fly off the handle at any given moment. Of course they're actually both violent psychopaths, but Reggie has a certain charm and slickness which makes him popular amongst high rollers and regular citizens alike. Whereas Ronnie, we're shown, is clinically insane, and even when taking his medication he constantly appears to be on edge and chronically creeps people out. Ronnie really only seems to be tolerated by others because he's Reggie's brother. There's only one scene, near the beginning, when the twins appear to work well together; the two of them beat the crap out of eight or so members of a rival gang. Throughout most of the rest of the film they're largely at odds with each other and Reggie only seems to keep Ronnie around because, firstly, he doesn't know what to do with him, and secondly, out of loyalty. Several times throughout the film when people challenge Reggie about Ronnie's erratic behaviour, Reggie replies defensively with, "He's my brother."

The focus of the movie is a bit muddled throughout, at times concentrating on Reggie's relationship with his love interest Francis (Emily Browning) who narrates the film, sometimes centering around the relationship between Reggie and Ronnie, and at still other times detailing their criminal exploits. Likewise the tone is mixed; sometimes playing as a serious, violent, bloody drama, and other times as a cartoonish black comedy.

The look of the movie effectively captures a generally realistic and believable portrayal of London in the 1960s, in all its post-war, swinging glory. But the real saving grace of the film is how Hardy quite ingeniously characterizes the two Krays in such a way so as that they look and act similarly enough to be twins while also really seeming like two completely different people. Hardy's all the rage these days, and this film shows why; he gives the twins different voices, different facial expressions, and different body language, the final result of which is one actor appearing as two different people at the same time onscreen. It's the main reason for seeing the movie, and worth it for his performance alone.

There are a few other compelling details, such as the fact that Ronnie is gay but has no qualms about keeping it secret. In fact, if anything he advertises it. In the 1960s hyper-macho, homophobic criminal realm one would think this might be a problem—but Ronnie doesn't give a shit, and no one dares question him about it anyway since he's such a violent, scary dude. A scene illustrating Ronnie's disregard for anyone's thoughts about his homosexuality is when the Krays form an alliance with the Meyer Lansky mafia crew based in America. The Italian-American mob seek to expand their enterprises overseas, but know that to successfully set up shop in London they'll need to include its reigning crime kingpins—which happen to be the Krays. A Lansky representative, played flawlessly by veteran actor Chazz Palminteri, meets with the Krays in London to arrange a deal in which both crews can profit. When the deal is settled and they're drinking champagne to celebrate, Palminteri tells the brothers that should they visit America anything they need would happily be supplied, including women. Ronnie replies that he prefers boys, to which Palminteri pauses, and Ronnie continues on with a speech about how he likes Italian ones, or Greeks, because he's not prejudiced and even had a "Negro and a Tahitian" before. Palminteri freezes, stupefied, and glances over at Reggie who just shrugs. Palminteri breaks out into hearty laughter, saying, "You got some balls, kid! Some balls to admit that. And you know what? To that I say 'Bravo'! Let's have a drink." They all drink, but Palminteri's smile is gone now as he glares at Ronnie over the rim of his glass. It's one of few truly memorable scenes in the movie.

Ronnie's openness about his homosexuality in a time and culture in which such orientation was supremely taboo is a rare element in mainstream films in that it subverts the frequent positioning of gay characters as living out their real identities in secrecy. Details like this keep the film somewhat afloat when it would otherwise be in danger of sinking amidst its barrage of formulaic crime film clichés, tropes, and characters. There's the woman, as mentioned, who wants Reggie to go clean, the Krays' screw-up petty crime lackey, and of course the police detective who's hot on the case and bent on bringing them down. We've seen all these characters numerous times before. But there's just enough good stuff here to make the film worth seeing; the well-captured look and style of 1960s London, the few interesting details and scenes that are uncharacteristic of gangster films, and most notably Tom Hardy's impressive performance as two similar yet distinct characters.
Rating (out of 5): ★★★
• Nik Dobrinsky / Boy Drinks Ink
January 30th, 2016