Review of Legend (2015) by Vanessa J — 13 Mar 2016

Tom Hardy gives an exceptional dual performance as Reggie Kray, the legendary British gangster, and Ronnie Kray, the dangerously schizophrenic (and openly gay) gangster brother in an otherwise uneven gangster tale.

There's a lot of great history here, including the idea of an openly gay and powerful gangster and his boyfriend/enforcer. The problem is that, rather than focusing on how Reggie and Ron Kray became powerful gangster - and being more of a biopic - it focused more on Ron's relationship with his wife long after he gained power.

It ended up making the Krays seem less dangerous than we're told. In fact, it's not until the end of the movie that we get a sense of how brutal they can be. If the script had one more draft, I think it could have been on the level of The Departed, but it's still enjoyable, especially seeing Oscar-nominee Tom Hardy play a charming gangster and an insane madman with Bane's voice.