50 Shades of Kray

Rating: 8/10 (19 September 2015)

Okay, so I went into this film expecting a gangster flick and I was rather excited about it too. However I was left surprised as it wasn't quite what I was expecting, but still a very entertaining watch. I don't think that this was ever really promoted as a biopic of sorts so some inaccuracies shouldn't be something to condemn the film for. I got the vibe that the producers of this film were searching for the perfect balance between romance and action in order to make a great movie with a broader target audience.
I was surprised at the fact this film follows the relationship between Reggie and his wife so much, leaving Ronnie to be more of a supporting role. All the performances in this film are brilliant, props to Tom Hardy for portraying two identical looking characters with very different traits. The "gimmick" of Hardy playing both roles is easily forgettable due to his brilliant performance(s). Throughout the film, I think the director does a very good job at making the audience feel and understand how much Ronnie and his condition held Reggie back in terms of both "business" and his relationships. It fuels some quite emotional scenes where you feel the Reggie was also a carer to Ron, as well as a brother.
This films violence is very good, I say it's very good because EVERY scene of violence in this film made me wince. It's graphic and brutal, along with the language, but it gives you a sense of how ugly these crimes were that the Kray brothers committed during their time on the top. Truly gripping.
Despite the violence being terrific, my only compliant is that there wasn't enough of it. Like I previously mentioned, the director intertwined the plot with romance and that can be a good thing, but when I go to see a film about the Krays... the criminal side of things is what I want to see most of. I would say that this film is worth the money to see, it's very well made and the performances are brilliant. The soundtracks good too. It's a very good film, just not quite a great gangster movie.