Opportunity Wasted and comical Ron portrayal

Rating: 6/10 (28 January 2016)

Firstly, I did enjoy this film, its well shot and the cinematography is great, it felt like London in the 60's, of course Tom Hardy's acting was excellent in regards to Reggie, the difference between the twins easy to see.
However, I'm not sure I can recommend it, certainly over the excellent 1990's Kemp brother biopic. The main problem for me was story, surely they missed a trick in really exploring the Kray story and really getting to the facts. I don't feel that I learnt anything new, there was no character development around any of the "firm" who were obviously faces also in the 60's, there was no real clue to their true crime empire apart from a few scenes with a mob boss in an apartment and where was the relationship with their Mother who apparently adored and protected her boys.
More importantly where was the grit, I expected more uncomfortable scenes, not because I want to see blood and guts but because the Krays were apparently the most feared gangsters in London. Apart from the George Cornell and Jack McVitie slayings and a dust up in a pub where did that reputation come from. Surely a focus on how that reputation was made could have been a bolder approach.
Again I had no real problem that the film was more of a focus on Reggie's relationship with Francis, but again they showed how they got together but the breakdown of the marriage felt forced, it all happened in one scene. Perhaps a lot of this film still lays on the cutting room floor, which is a shame really.
Lastly Ron. Obviously a nasty piece of work and Hardy did a good job, but I also found the portrayal a little comically. Anyone in UK who knows the series "Little Britain" may agree. He felt like a caricature by David Walliams.
So for me a massive opportunity to really create a Legend of a film but the Directors and writers decided to go safe and not really offer anything new. Apart from Hardy's acting I'm pretty certain this would have gone straight to DVD.