Hardy is exceptional in an otherwise awful film

Rating: 4/10 (2 February 2016)

If it wasn't was the performance of Hardy (and credit to Colin Morgan again, good as ever), this would be one of the worst films I've seen in a good while.
Whilst this adaption of the Krays 'story' takes a closer look at the Reggie/Frances relationship and the complex nature of the brothers, focusing nothing like as much on their violence, it fails to bring any real sense of connection with what they did.
There are time line errors, gaps in the story that surely needed to be there and an almost comical feel to proceedings at times.
Some of the fight scenes are nothing short of woeful with punches very obviously pulled and blows that even the shortest sighted of viewers will see don't land! Hardy's acting is well above anything I have seen from him previously. The portrayal of Ronnie is mesmerising. That should also tell you that the film has got to be bad for me to give it 4/10 after such a superb showing from Tom.
Why they didn't put as much effort into a storyline that worked as they did into casting is completely lost on me.
A huge opportunity missed to tell what is a captivating story from the past.