Legend is a gangster biopic set in the 1960's.
It tells the story of Ronnie Kray (Tom Hardy) and Reggie Kray (Tom Hardy), the notorious gangster twins who ruled London at their peak.
This film is difficult to write about without spoiling anything. But I'm going to try. The follows Reggie Kray as he attempt to balance his brother and his relationship with Frances Shea (Emily Browning).
The three primary parts, Ronnie, Reggie and Frances, were all wonderfully portrayed. Each and every character movement and tick help build up a nice trio of individuals. In many regards, this is a testament to Tom Hardy's acting skill as he manages to play two characters and make them feel like individuals.
There were many secondary characters who appeared in this, most notably Leslie Payne (David Thewlis) and Edward Smith (Taron Egerton). These characters managed to fill their roles well. My complaint is that there was far less focus on Leonard "Nipper" Read than I was hoping for.
Regarding the story, it felt like a slice of life. The gangster activity, while still present, was pushed into the background in favour of the relationship story at times. While this may not be everyones cup of tea, I enjoyed it as it allowed the characters to have room to breathe.
The three characters play off well against each other, with the triangle fitting very well.
For those people who are worried about the lack of violence, it exists, and at times is brutal. Tom Hardy manages to make both characters acts of violence appear unique, adding to the illusion of the pair of twins.
Technically, I was astounded. The ability to get twins to fit so naturally in the world is a testament to modern day cgi, especially in one scene. It is also a testament to Brian Helgelands direction. The film style was very modern, with a soundtrack from the sixties.
The soundtrack reflected the movie quite well, enabling the audience to empathise with the characters at times. It also cleverly repeated songs, which helped the audience remember previous events which add depth to the moment on screen.
This is an enjoyable film and one for international audiences to watch for the technical film making. It is a well done biopic that may have limited appeal, solely due to the locality of the original story.
Number of times I looked at my watch: Three
Recommendation: See this film, if you live in the UK or enjoy the technical aspects of film making.
I hope you enjoyed this review, please let me know what other movies you would like me to review.
Have a great day. Looking forward to your feedback.
