Legend – Film Review

Universal Pictures

http://www.legendthemovie.com/

By. Johna Autencio

With awards season quickly approaching, many Hollywood actors and actresses are already getting Oscar buzz for their upcoming releases. An example would be Tom Hardy (Mad Max: Fury Road, The Dark Knight Rises), the leading star of Legend, for his portrayal of not one, but two characters as London’s well-known gangsters the Kray twins: Ronnie and Reggie Kray.

Set in the 1960s, Legend tells us a story of identical twin brothers and their organized crime empire in the East End of London, but also depicts happenings behind the scenes. Their story starts with the bond between the brothers, leading audiences to believe they will be united in their dealings. However, when Frances Shea, played by Emily Browning (Sucker Punch, Pompeii), comes into the picture, the family dynamic starts to change their brotherly relationship as well as their partnership in the gangster world.

Reggie Kray is the brains of the business – very tough until it came to his relationship with Frances. Ronnie, is a schizophrenic and Reggie’s second-man; however, he doesn’t always make the best decisions and it eventually becomes a problem. For the most part, the storyline focuses on Reggie’s life, mainly because he is more inclined to guide the direction of their line of work, and due to his relationship with Frances, which changes the tone of the film.

Everything about the movie is well-done. The cast fits their roles well, the film was beautifully shot, and the overall storyline of the rise and fall of the Kray twins was perfected on screen.

Hardy is especially excellent in this film. He’s known to play a tough guy on screen, so it’s no surprise that he took on this role (and produced it). Hardy manages to bring different elements to these two brothers, whether he’s mentally unstable, with comedic timing as Ronnie Kray, or the suave, charming, but rough-edged Reggie Kray. If that’s not enough, the scene where Hardy gets into a fight with himself is entertaining and one of the more memorable scenes in the film. Regardless of which brother he’s portraying, his performance is addicting to watch. And it shows the audience that playing two characters who are complete opposites makes double the trouble look twice as nice.

Legend is now playing in theatres worldwide.