Legend

This review may contain spoilers!

Well let it not be said that Tom Hardy can do some utterly terrible films too. I would give Legend a 4.5/10.

I think that what this film did well is create quirky scenes out of a quirky character; this is a fun gimmick that a lot of 'serious' dramatic films aim to do and can really bring the plot up in some cases. I also have to commend the soundtrack and score for this film; it really felt of the time and aided in creating some brilliant moments of the film such as Ron's desire for a Western shoot-out.

Paul Bettany, who played Charlie Richardson, was a thoroughly entertaining antagonist for the opening of the film; his barmy criminal court was a disturbingly amusing scene. Taron Egerton, who played Teddy Smith, was fantastic as Ron's right hand man and lover; he added a lot to the comedic aspect of the film. David Thewlis, who played Leslie Payne, was one of the rougher characters of the film that actually dealt out a solid dramatic performance; Thewlis delivered the jargon of his role well and felt like a high mind pulling the purse-strings of the criminal world.

However the best performance came from Tom Hardy, who played Ronald Kray and Reginald Kray. Hardy in my mind is best described as a jack of all trades and a method actor; he's an extreme talent who can only grow as an actor in whatever scripts he plays a part in. That being said he plays two very different roles in this film and plays both well for different reasons. As Reggie he balances a serious kingpin of crime performance; we see him lose control and vent frustration over Ron and his failing marriage. All the while he also shows a very sensitive side and is exceptionally charming in his scenes with Browning. As Ron, Hardy unhinges himself and plays someone who is psychotic with no holds barred and extreme fits of anger or violence. There's a lot of comedy from Ron and even a side that makes you feel empathetic for him. The degree of acting you see from Hardy here is one of the most redeeming qualities about the film and literally the only thing that sets it apart from any other crime film out there.

At first glance the plot is a crime story about twin crime lords; sadly this degenerates into a poorly constructed romance subplot with several instances where Hardy clashes with himself for the sake of carrying the wackiness of that conflict on for as long as the plot allows. The pacing loses sight of the end after the first half an hour, suddenly we are presented with the novelty of two Tom Hardys and an excessive amount of homosexual/homophobic jokes. The cinematography is quite basic and shots almost feel toned down due to the fact that there's some very deliberate angling so as not to have to show Tom Hardy with himself all the time. The editing for the film is a big let down, the dull greys for 60s London is some of the most generic use of colouring that I've seen in a film.

Emily Browning, who played Frances Shea, leads the romance subplot that bogs the film down; between Browning's dull narration or wooden performance you feel as if she's gotten far too much screen time and question the casting choice made here. Christopher Eccleston, who played Nipper Read, lacked screen presence in this film; you felt like he was at the whim of the plot and never really gave a good show when the focus was on him. Colin Morgan, who played Frankie Shea, gave a feeble performance; he had quite a few scenes but could never make his mark.